Far From Home
by noa748
Summary: I'm seventeen. I'm a little old to be waltzing around the Pokemon world, but I guess I wasn't given much of a choice in that matter. If this is some sort of messed up dream, I hope I wake up soon...
1. A Long Way From Home

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A/N: I tried to ignore this plot bunny...I really did. But it wouldn't detach itself from my brain until I wrote it out. D: Sooo...here it is: Far From Home, a Pokemon Heartgold self-insert! I need to stop writing these damn things...

Yes, it's a blatant SI. The character _is _me, with absolutely nothing changed. No special powers, no amazingly good looks, none of that Sue-ish crap. Men won't fall at her feet, and she won't instantaneously know exactly what to do in every situation. I just thought I'd establish that fact before anyone assumed that all self-inserts are Mary Sues. Either way, if you don't like the concept itself, you don't have to read. ;D

So! Prepare yourself for a more realistic take on Pokemon. Enjoy~

The house was completely quiet, except for the minute clicking sound my fingers made as they flew across the keyboard. I sat alone in the living room; my mom wouldn't be home from work for another three hours. In the meantime, I was typing up a chapter to one of my latest stories in a feeble attempt to put off doing homework. It was a beautiful day outside; I had opened all the windows in the house, and as I typed, I listened to the sound of birds chirping. Maybe I would go outside while it was still light out…

…No, I'd already spent enough time outside today, and that pile of homework on the table seemed to be glaring at me. Usually seniors in high school weren't confronted with such an unfair amount of homework, but of course I was the exception. Ah, well, it'd be worth it; I _was _graduating a year early, after all.

Enough dawdling. I had already written enough of that story, and I wanted to go to bed at a reasonable time tonight. Homework it was, then.

I stood up, closing my laptop and stretching. Just as I began to walk over to where my homework sat, though, I remembered that Memorial Day weekend started tomorrow. I smacked my forehead, letting out a groan. All that worrying for nothing…I didn't have to do any of it! Now I could put it off until the last minute, because that was the most responsible thing to do. Yeah.

My momentary upset passed, and was quickly replaced with a feeling of freedom. Well! That just opened up my schedule. Now that I was thinking about it, maybe I _would _get some extra time outside. I hadn't gone for a walk through the woods in a while.

Immediately deciding on that, I pulled my curly brown hair into a ponytail and grabbed my cell phone, shoving it in one pocket. I headed down the stairs and out the door, pulling on some sunglasses as I did so. Then I began the short trek up the street, heading for the dirt path that would take me into the forest near my house.

* * *

…Ow. What the hell? I felt like…like I had crashed face first into a brick wall. But last I checked, there hadn't been any brick walls in that field I'd been running through…

Darkness surrounded me. I couldn't muster up the strength to open my eyes, but at least I felt comfortable…no, I could wake up later. Whatever had happened, I didn't want to face it right now.

All too willingly, I allowed myself to slip deeper into the blackness. My thoughts dissolved into nothing, and I lost all awareness as unconsciousness took me once more.

* * *

My eyes snapped open.

Bright light instantly blinded me, and I instinctively reached up to block it out. After a few agonizing seconds my vision cleared, and I was able to distinguish the sunlight streaming through the open window from everything else in the room.

Now that I could see where the hell I was, I realized why I had woken up so abruptly. In the pit of my stomach, I had _known _something was off. First of all, the last thing I remembered was jogging through an open field, on my way to the forest at the other end. I had seen an interesting looking animal, and I had been following it out of curiosity. And then there had been this weird feeling, and then…augh. I couldn't remember exactly how it happened.

But none of that mattered, really. If I had woken up in my room, everything would have been all right. Of course, things never could be that easy. This definitely wasn't my room.

My insides churned uncomfortably as I lightly clenched my fists, attempting to calm my racing heart. The room seemed harmless enough…it was spacious, with wooden floors and white walls. The bed I sat on was just a simple twin size bed, covered with light blue sheets that were now wrinkled thanks to yours truly. There was a small bookcase against one wall, and a nightstand next to the bed with a cute little lamp on it. All in all, it was a pretty plain room, and it told me nothing about my surroundings.

I still couldn't shake my nervous feeling. I mean, maybe someone had found me passed out in the field, but wouldn't they have called an ambulance or the cops or something? People didn't just take you into their house like this, it was weird. But if I had been kidnapped or something…ugh, this just didn't seem like that kind of situation. This place seemed too…homey.

Reaching up, I placed a hand tentatively to my forehead. What was going on…?

"Oh, you're awake!" A female voice said from my right, and I turned my head to see a woman standing in the doorway. She was smiling cheerily at me; I couldn't help but smile uneasily back.

"Um…yeah," I said awkwardly, staring at her while rubbing the back of my neck.

She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties. The woman had long, dark brown hair that she had tied up in a lopsided bun, with her bangs framing her face. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that her eyes were a deep brownish-black color; they had this strange warmth to them that I instantly picked up on. I felt myself beginning to drop my guard.

She quickly took note of my discomfort, and moved further into the room to hand me a glass of water she'd been carrying. Oh, she brought that for me? I still wasn't sure if I should drink it…not that I thought she'd slipped some kind of date rape drug into it, but I just couldn't stop myself from being at least a little suspicious.

"I know this is an unfamiliar environment," she said, her smile taking on an apologetic quality. "And I'm sorry if waking up here frightened you. No one in town recognized you, so I offered to take you in. Do you have any idea what happened?"

I slowly shook my head. "I'm not really sure. Who…who are you?"

The woman looked surprised. "Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot my manners. My name is Annette Thompson. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm…Brittany Furness," I said after a brief hesitation. "It's nice to meet you, but…where am I?"

Her friendly smile came back instantly, and I felt a little better about trusting her with my full name. "You're in New Bark Town, but how you got here is a mystery to us."

New Bark Town…what kind of name was that? Didn't sound like any town I'd ever heard of, at least not in New York. Something about it _seemed _familiar, but…I just couldn't put my finger on it.

My lips turned down in a slight frown. "I just remember going on a walk through the woods near my house. I was crossing through a field, and then…I don't know. I guess I blacked out."

I took a sip of the water, and was pleased to find that it was very cold and very refreshing. It was getting easier to think clearly.

Annette tilted her head, seeming thoughtful. "That's strange…when we found you, you were passed out on the edge of town. You're sure you weren't anywhere near this town when it happened?"

"I've never even heard of New Bark Town," I admitted, a little frustrated. "I'm from a town north of Syracuse."

"Hmm…Syracuse?" She seemed to say the city's name carefully, as if she was attempting to speak a different language. I knew instantly that she'd never heard of it, and my face fell.

Annette went still for a second, and then clapped her hands together. "Oh! I know what I can do. There's someone in the village that said he might be able to help you once you woke up. Wait here for a few minutes, I'll give him a call."

She stood up and shuffled out of the room, presumably to get her phone. I leaned back into the pillows, sipping at the water and thinking to myself.

If she had never heard of Syracuse, that meant she wasn't from the area…which probably didn't mean anything good for me. I had no clue how I could have passed out in one town and woken up in another, unless some sick individual had picked me up and dumped me here. I was pretty sure I could rule Annette out. Unless she had some psychopathic side that I wasn't seeing at the present time. Hey, you never know.

By the time Annette returned from her little phone call, I had finished the glass of water. She smiled and took it from me, pocketing a strange device that I had never seen before. Hmm…that wasn't a cell phone…who _was _this woman?

"I spoke with Professor Elm, and he's eager to see if you're doing well. It looks like he would know how to help you out better than anyone," she said.

"…Professor Elm?" I asked, blinking.

"He's the Pokemon authority in this town," Annette explained. "I'm not completely sure, but from his tone of voice when I spoke to him, he seemed to have an idea of how you ended up here."

I barely caught her second sentence; I was too busy gaping at her from her initial few words. New Bark Town? Professor Elm? Pokemon? What the _hell?!_

"Brittany? Are you all right?" She leaned forward, concerned. "I'm sorry, are you not feeling well? I can go buy some medicine—"

"N-No, I'm okay," I said quickly, staring at my lap. "Just a little…I don't know. Overwhelmed. So…so what about this Professor Elm person?"

Annette relaxed a little, but still seemed uneasy at my sudden change in mood. "He asked for you to come see him as soon as you're up to it. But if you're not feeling well…"

"I'm all right, really." I said, forcing a smile, despite the chaos that was going on in my head. "Where can I find him?"

She hesitated, seeming to look me over one final time. When she was satisfied that I wasn't going to fall over anytime soon, she answered. "His lab is in the northmost part of town. It's not that long of a walk; you can't miss it."

"All right." I nodded a little too eagerly, desperate to get out of this house so I could think. "I guess I'd better go see him, then…thank you for the help, Ms. Thompson."

"Anne," she corrected me as I stood up. "And don't hesitate to come back here! This is your home as long as you need it to be. Understand?"

"Y-Yeah," I replied, and this time my smile was real. I might need a place to stay, if this was really happening… "Thank you for everything…Anne."

With that, I headed out of the bedroom and quickly found the door out of the house. I walked a few paces away from the home, and then turned to look over my shoulder at it, as if I was confirming to myself that it was still there. It wouldn't have surprised me if the place had suddenly vanished. _My _home was long gone, after all.

New Bark Town. Jesus tap dancing Christ, I was going insane. I must have fallen and hit my head really hard on a rock or something. Maybe I was in a coma right now, and this was just one big fucked up dream.

A boy that couldn't have been older than twelve or thirteen ran past me. He was wearing a yellow and black cap turned backwards; a tuft of dark hair fell over one of his eyes, and he brushed it away as he ran. He was laughing loudly, chasing after a small blue blur.

It was an animal. _Not _what looked like. Just some sort of animal…this was all a dream…

Shaking my head with irritation, I tried ignoring the laughing boy and turned in the opposite direction. I had to find Professor Elm's lab…maybe I'd wake up if I just did what this dream wanted me to do. I started walking north, and within just a few seconds I was able to see the outline of a large building in the distance. That must have been it.

…Ethan. That was the boy's name. It was Ethan…or, at least, that was what he'd been called in my HeartGold game. I couldn't remember if he'd had a set name in the original Gold and Silver games…agh, who cared what his name was?! He wasn't real! None of this was!

Huffing with annoyance, I trudged in the direction of the lab building.

"…Hello?" My determination had wavered when I finally arrived at the large, official looking structure. I found myself knocking tentatively at the door, and then pushing it open lightly when there was no answer.

"Ah! Is that you, Miss Furness?" A tall, bespectacled man with brown hair was approaching me. He was wearing a white lab coat, and he carried a few books under one arm.

"Um, yes, it's me," I answered, a little timidly. This whole thing was so weird… "Are you Professor Elm? Anne—I mean, Ms. Thompson told me to come see you."

"Yes, yes, please come in," the man said, gesturing for me to enter.

I obeyed, and we walked down a short hallway until we emerged into a large room with various machines lined along the walls. There was a laptop sitting on one table with a bunch of papers, and then there was a pedestal near one corner that had—no. This just couldn't be real.

"I'm very sorry about all of this, Miss Furness," Professor Elm said, shooing his assistants out of the room with one wave of the hand. "You must be feeling very distressed. The fact of the matter is, what happened to you is something that we've never quite seen before."

"So you know how I ended up here?" I asked, curious. Of course I knew I was just conked out somewhere, but it would be interesting to hear this guy's explanation.

The professor turned away from me, shuffling thoughtfully through the stack of papers that sat on his desk. After a moment, he began to speak.

"…Well, first of all, I'd like you to confirm something for me. You…aren't from Johto, correct? In fact, you aren't from this world at all."

I stared at him for what felt like an eternity, shocked. Well, that was an interesting development. Might as well tell the truth…I mean, he wouldn't have just guessed at something like _that._

"…No, I'm not," I said, my voice sounding strange.

He nodded slowly. "In this lab, I have state-of-the-art equipment that specializes in detecting the unusual abilities of certain Pokemon. There are some highly rare ones that I've always wanted to study—you _are _familiar with Pokemon, aren't you? Do they exist where you come from?" For a moment, he looked a little horrified at the thought that they might not. I found it sort of amusing, but not enough to laugh over.

"…I know a bit about them," I said after a moment, avoiding part of his question. I wasn't about to explain that this whole thing was a video game in my world. Not that it'd matter since this guy was just a figment of my imagination, but I never really took it upon myself to freak out dream characters.

Professor Elm looked relieved that he didn't have to explain. Good, it saved us both the trouble. Instead, he went on with his original explanation.

"As I was saying, I have equipment that can detect the abilities of certain Pokemon. Yesterday evening, just as I was getting ready to head home, one of the machines started making quite a racket. It seems that it had found a great deal of unusual activity nearby—there was, without a doubt, a legendary Pokemon in the area! Rather than standing around in the lab, I left my assistants to monitor the information while I went out to investigate," Professor Elm said, looking very animated as he told me this. It must have been one hell of an ordeal if he was this excited.

"When I approached the edge of town," he continued, "I saw a strange shadow vanish into the trees. I wasn't able to see what kind of Pokemon it was, but I did see you lying on the ground…and there was some sort of portal closing behind you." Professor Elm frowned slightly. "I tried getting an explanation out of you…but you were nearly delusional. You kept muttering all sorts of things…but it was from your words then that I inferred that you must be from a land completely unfamiliar to us."

"…A portal…" I murmured disbelievingly. But now that I thought about it...that weird animal I'd been following before I passed out, had that been…? I hadn't gotten a good glimpse of it…

"I know how it sounds," the professor acknowledged, "but there are records of Pokemon out there that are capable of some incredible feats. Although we do know a great deal about them, there is still a vast wilderness of knowledge waiting to be discovered. Pokemon continue to surprise me every day I study them."

…Okay, thank you for that, Professor. But that still didn't help me at all with my current situation. How was I going to wake up from this goddamned dream?

I'd humor him for now. "That's fascinating and all, but…how am I going to get back home?"

The professor frowned slightly. "Now, there's our problem." Of course, this couldn't be easy, could it? "I didn't see what type of Pokemon it was, so I'm not quite sure what to search for. You could wait in this town for a while, and perhaps the Pokemon will return…but since legendaries are so rarely seen, that may take a long time."

"Any other options?" I asked, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

Professor Elm seemed to perk up a little. "Well, there is somewhere you can start," he offered. "A friend of mine just sent me a message regarding an unusual discovery he had made. I'm thinking it's probably just another Pokemon egg, but he might know a thing or two if you were to ask. His name is Mr. Pokemon, and he lives just north of Cherrygrove City—that's to the west of us."

North…west…yeah, okay. I hadn't played HeartGold in a month or two, but I was sure I could remember where everything was.

"Okay," I said with a nod. "So…north of Cherrygrove City. Got it."

"There is one more thing," Professor Elm said before I could even consider leaving. "It isn't quite safe to be walking such a distance all alone. Not only that, if you were to encounter this legendary Pokemon again…"

"I…I would need my own Pokemon to battle it?" I guessed, and Professor Elm smiled.

"Legendaries, as a rule, will often flee as soon as they are spotted. Some will only remain if they consider the trainer to be worthy enough…but yes, if you want this Pokemon to return you home, you may have to earn its respect first. I would recommend you having your own Pokemon to begin with," he said. "Of course, that's something I can help you with."

I frowned as he gestured for me to follow him, and he led me over to that pedestal I had been observing earlier. It…it had three Poke Balls sitting on it. I stared at them numbly for a moment.

"These Pokemon are rather rare, but I can part with one in circumstances like these," he said. "I've been wanting to see how allowing a Pokemon to walk alongside its trainer will affect their relationship. If the Pokemon you choose seems happy enough when you come back, I'll let you keep it."

"My own Pokemon…" I murmured, still unable to believe any of this.

"Go ahead, choose one." Professor Elm chuckled, seeing my look of amazement. He reached over, pressing a finger to one ball. "This one contains Chikorita, a grass-type Pokemon," he moved on to the next one, "and this one contains Totodile, a water-type Pokemon."

Finally, he moved on to the final Poke Ball. "In this one is Cyndaquil, a fire-type Pokemon. Would you like a more detailed description of them, or have you made your decision?"

"I…I think I know which one I want," I said, still feeling totally numb to all of this. I reached out slowly, touching the Poke Ball that contained Cyndaquil. I had chosen this one in my HeartGold game, though I had been loyal to Totodile in the original Gold. What did it matter?

"Cyndaquil it is, then," Professor Elm said with a grin. He handed the Poke Ball to me. When I only looked bewildered, he offered further assistance. "Press your thumb to the button on the front—yes, that's it. Now give it a toss; it'll activate on its own."

I did as he told me, lightly tossing the ball towards the ground. It opened up almost immediately, releasing a bright red light. When the light faded, a small Pokemon remained. I stared at the Cyndaquil in fascination as it began to sniff around, looking a bit disoriented.

Professor Elm laughed, bending down to give the Cyndaquil a pat on the head. "He can smell your scent, and it's new to him. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Um…" I murmured, stepping forward and bending down the way the professor had. I stared down at the Cyndaquil, still looking at it in complete amazement. It was so strange, seeing it in real life—no, this couldn't be real…right?

The fire coming out of the Pokemon's back certainly was real. I could feel its warmth from here. I was kind of nervous that it would burn me, to be honest.

"H-Hello, Cyndaquil…" I said quietly, feeling a little shaky. "I'm Brittany."

The Cyndaquil looked up at me, tilting its head slightly. Something inside of me melted. After a few moments of staring at me with its eyes, which were almost completely slitted shut, it shuffled forward and headbutted me lightly in the leg. That caused the professor to laugh again.

"Well, I think he likes you," he said jovially.

Meanwhile, I was tentatively reaching down and petting the Cyndaquil on the head. It seemed to enjoy that, leaning into the palm of my hand as I did it. A grin inevitably found its way on to my face, but when I realized it was there, it immediately fell.

This was…a Pokemon. As unbelievable as it seemed, I could tell…this thing was _real. _This wasn't some sort of cheap trick…oh, God…

I couldn't _not _fall in love with the little Cyndaquil.

Standing up to my full height now, I turned to face the professor. He nodded to me approvingly.

"Well, I'll get some things together for you," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Why don't you say goodbye to Ms. Thompson in the meantime?"

"Oh…right," I said, forcing a confident smile. "I…I'll be back soon, then!"

With that, I left Professor Elm to his own devices. The Cyndaquil was surprisingly obedient, and followed me without even being instructed to. Well, I guess it would naturally be used to humans if it had spent a lot of time in that lab…

It was pretty easy to pick out Annette's house from the others, since I'd just been there not too long ago. I took my time, though; I wasn't exactly feeling up to more talking right now. Instead, I walked to the water's edge on the eastern side of town and sat down to take a breather. The Cyndaquil walked up and sat on its haunches next to me, staring at the water in what looked like an expression of distaste.

I couldn't run away from it anymore, could I? Now I had a constant reminder of this messed up situation sitting right next to me. I was in Johto…in the world of Pokemon.

I couldn't help but scowl, staring down at the water. For a seventeen-year-old, playing Pokemon was a bit of a guilty pleasure. I knew of others who played it, but…for the most part, it was a game geared more towards kids, right? Did that mean I was stuck in some sort of child-friendly environment where everything worked out conveniently for me and the worst bad guys were just bullies?

The Cyndaquil nudged me, making a sound that was completely unfamiliar to my ears. It sounded sort of like a ferret, only…I wouldn't even know how to describe it. I looked over to the Pokemon, raising my eyebrows in surprise.

"Wh…What is it?" I asked, but it just paused and made that noise again.

I felt a smile growing on my face before I could suppress it, and I had to laugh. Well, at least this little guy was making me feel better…and it looked like he had unknowingly disproved some of my theory. There _were _some differences, it looked like…for instance, Pokemon didn't just say their own name. To be honest, I was kind of relieved about that. It might have gotten annoying after a while.

"Sorry, I'm neglecting you, aren't I…" I murmured absently, trying to focus on the Pokemon instead of on how I had ended up in this place. "Um…how about I give you a name, then?" I asked, patting the Cyndaquil on the head.

I had always been too lazy to think up nicknames for all of my Pokemon in the games…but now that I thought about it, I really didn't want to just call my Pokemon Cyndaquil all the time. I mean, if I was still here when it evolved, wouldn't it be weird to suddenly start calling him Quilava? Agh…maybe I was thinking too much.

The Cyndaquil was staring at me, seeming curious. I rubbed my chin, trying to think up a quick name that would work at least until I got out of here.

"Hmm…Flame?" I muttered, frowning. Yeah, that was creative. Oh, well. "Okay, let's see…your actual name will be Flame, but I'll call you Flammie while you're still a cute little Cyndaquil," I said cheerfully. Flammie, like the dragon from Secret of Mana! Flammie the Cyndaquil.

Flammie made another one of those little ferret noises, staring at me. I couldn't really tell if he liked the name or not, but it was a little late for that; I had already grown attached to it.

Feeling a little better now that I had distracted myself for a few minutes, I stood up and brushed myself off. Okay, it was time to say goodbye to Annette.

"C'mon, Flammie," I said, taking a few steps forward. He followed me instantly, and I grinned. This Cyndaquil was probably the only thing keeping me sane right now, come to think of it.

We headed for Annette's house, not wasting any more time. Professor Elm was probably going to be finished soon…

* * *

"…And this is the map function, and you press this to use the telephone—don't you forget to call me!" Annette paused in her lecture, wagging a finger. "If anything important comes up, I want to hear about it. And I'll make sure to call you every now and then, too!"

I stared at the Poke Gear, surprised I hadn't recognized it when I had seen Annette pocket it earlier. She was currently showing me how to use it, having given it to me for my trip. I didn't understand what the big deal was, though…wasn't Mr. Pokemon's house a relatively short distance away? I mean, it couldn't take more than a few hours to reach…

"Um…Ms. Thompson—"

"Anne," she corrected.

"Right, Anne," I said, knowing I'd keep forgetting. "Professor Elm is probably waiting for me by now…is that everything I need to know?"

"Oh! That's right! I don't want to hold you back," she said, smiling. "Yes, dear, that should be everything. Just strap that Poke Gear on to your wrist and don't be afraid to use it, all right? And Flammie, you behave for your new trainer!"

Flammie just peeked out at Annette from his spot between my feet, and then yawned. I laughed.

"I think he'll be okay," I said, strapping the strange device on to my right wrist. "Bye, Anne! I'll be back soon."

We waved goodbye to each other, and then Flammie and I were off. I didn't take any detours on my way to the lab, so the walk was a relatively short one. I was starting to get used to walking around with the little Cyndaquil trailing shortly behind. Maybe this whole thing wouldn't be so bad…I just had to focus on the task at hand instead of on how worried my family was going to be. Right…just think about getting home, not about home itself. That could be workable.

The door to the lab opened before I got the chance to knock, and I almost rapped my knuckles on Professor Elm's forehead. Catching myself just in time, I lowered my fist awkwardly. The professor just seemed bemused for a moment, and then he smiled.

"Well, you're all set, then?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so. What's all that?" I couldn't help but notice the tote bag he was holding in one hand.

"This is for you," he replied, handing it to me. "There are a few potions in there for your Cyndaquil, if anything should happen to him. I also put some money in there as well; it should be enough to get you a room and meal at the inn in Cherrygrove City."

"Sounds good! Thanks a lot, professor," I said, smiling in a carefree way. I was kind of looking forward to getting away from people for a little bit; I needed some time to really get used to this scenario.

"Oh, it's no trouble," Professor Elm said with a smile, and then it faltered. "Ah—just a second, I completely forgot…I'll be right back."

I watched with raised eyebrows as the man shuffled back inside, hearing a few crashes coming from somewhere inside the building. Man, he'd seemed so organized until just a few seconds ago…

In a minute or two, he emerged once more with a paper in hand. He smiled a bit sheepishly, straightening his glasses.

"This is a copy of the e-mail I received from Mr. Pokemon," he explained. "It's just to prove that you're the person I sent to see him. I also wrote my number at the bottom of the paper, so you can input that into your Poke Gear. I'll give you a call if anything important comes up while you're gone."

"Thanks," I said, smiling wryly as I slipped the paper into the bag he had given me. Inwardly, I hoped he hadn't forgotten anything else important.

"Well, that's everything, then," Professor Elm said with a satisfied nod, and smiled. "You'd better get going before your Cyndaquil leaves without you," he said, amused. I turned and saw that Flammie was waiting for me a few yards away, staring with his head slightly tilted in inquiry.

"…I guess I should," I said, grinning a little at the Pokemon's antics.

We said our goodbyes, and once again I was alone with Flammie. Finally…time for a few uninterrupted hours of thought. I intended to fully take advantage of it.

Slinging the tote bag over one shoulder, I took a few seconds to put Professor Elm's number into my Poke Gear. Then I checked the map for a second, and confirmed that I did indeed know exactly where I was going. Everything seemed to be in the same general layout as the game, only bigger. Well, at least I wasn't in totally unfamiliar territory.

I headed for the path on the edge of town, seeing the tall grass already in the distance. I wondered if I'd see any wild Pokemon during the trip. Hopefully we wouldn't be attacked…ack, I just couldn't imagine my cute little Flammie in a battle!

All of a sudden, I stopped in my tracks. I felt like I was forgetting something…

Ah. And there was that feeling like I was being watched. When I looked up, my eyes instantly wandered in the direction of Professor Elm's lab, and I saw the shock of red hair in an instant. That was…oh man, how could I have forgotten about that guy?

A very familiar red haired boy of about my age was leaning against one of the building's walls, his arms crossed. He was glaring at me, and didn't even bother to look away when we made eye contact. Ah, crap…I was going to be periodically bumping into this rival dude every now and then, wasn't I? And he was going to basically tell me I failed at life, describe how Pokemon are tools, and then chuck his Totodile in my general direction so that he could duke it out with Flammie. Awesome.

What was his name again? Pfft, I had named him "Douchebag" on my last playthrough. Before I could help myself, I snorted, placing a hand to my mouth to cover my grin. Rival DOUCHEBAG wants to battle! Ahahaha, I was so immature.

Flammie was looking at me curiously. I risked one final glance in…er, _that guy's _direction, and saw that he didn't look too amused. Whoops, he had probably taken my little episode there as an insult—though it was probably better that he hadn't seen what was going through my head…actually, who cared, really? I was gonna call him Douchebag until he told me his name. And maybe after he told me his name, too. I'd just have to wait and see on that one.

"Let's get going, Flammie," I said to my Cyndaquil, acting as if I had never seen the boy in the first place. For now…I had more important things to worry about.

We continued onward to the edge of town, to where Route 29 began. As we left the redhead behind, I couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before he stole that Totodile…and if I should feel guilty that I wasn't stopping him.

* * *

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A/N: Well, there you have it. I'm not completely sure how far I'll go with this, but I just thought I'd post up what I already had. Whether I'm motivated to write more or not depends on the feedback I get, I guess. ;D

...okay, I'll probably write more at some point regardless of reviews, but reviews _will _help me get my ass in gear. XD

Good? Bad? Lemme know what you think! Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Next time: The first Pokemon battle! Stop hurting my little Flammie, you bastard!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, nor do I profit from this story in any way.


	2. Damn You, Hoothoot!

**A/N: Wow, extremely fast update. I blame the plot bunny nomming at my brains! D8**

**I was pleasantly surprised at all the positive reviews I got. Thanks, guys~ I'll do my best to make this story a good one. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemanz!**

Man, this walk was getting to be a lot longer than I had anticipated...I mean yeah, Professor Elm had given me money for a room at the inn, but I had still thought I'd make it to the city with some time to spare. Right now, it was starting to get dark…

"It's been a long day, hasn't it, Flammie?" I said aloud, shoving my hands in my pockets. It still felt strange talking to the Pokemon, but I did remember that they understood a lot more than typical animals would.

Flammie just looked up at me and made his usual noise—was it a chatter? I had no idea what to call it. Either way, I wasn't sure whether he was agreeing or disagreeing with me. Hell, maybe he hadn't understood at all. At least I wasn't totally ignoring him, though.

We were walking through patches of tall grass now. There wasn't really a defined road or anything, but I could tell where I was supposed to go because the trees along the route had been cleared out. It was weird how there were computers and phones in this world, and yet they hadn't created cars yet. Was it because everyone used Pokemon for transportation? Maybe that was it.

This world…ugh, how long would it be before I could go home? I knew all Mr. Pokemon had was a Togepi egg, and I doubted he'd be able to help me out…

Deep in thought, I started to list off all the legendary and rare Pokemon I knew in my head. Let's see…there was Entei, Suicune, Raikou, Ho-Oh, Lugia…and then…dammit, this would have been so much easier if I had taken a more careful look at the damn thing. All I had seen was a shadow, really…the only thing I could say for sure was that it wasn't a tiny Pokemon. Something the size of Flammie wouldn't have caught my attention that easily.

Even if it had been one of those Pokemon I listed, that still didn't mean anything good for me. The majority of them were lurking around Ecruteak City right now. I wouldn't even get there until…jeez, what happened before then? The path was blocked off by Sudowoodo, and I needed something from Goldenrod City to get it to move…but before I could get _that, _I had to get the gym badge from there. And even that was far off in the future. Christ, would I really have to stick around here for that long? There had to be some kind of shortcut!

I remembered I had my cell phone, and I pulled it out of my pocket to check the time. It was 8:20 pm. As I turned the phone off to conserve its power, I thought to myself. Eight pm…I had left my house yesterday at around five. That meant I had been gone for an entire day already…surely my family had noticed I was missing by now. Had my mom called the police? People had seen me leaving my house and heading for the woods…I could just picture all the search parties. Eventually everyone would assume I was dead. There would be a short article in the newspaper on my disappearance, maybe a segment on TV, and then that would be it.

Flammie nudged my leg, breaking me out of my reverie. I realized I was crying.

I sniffled, sitting down on a nearby stump so that I could compose myself again. I was just now starting to realize…that even if I did have a shot at getting home, I wasn't going to see my family or friends for a very long time. And when I made it back, what was I supposed to say to them?

"Dammit…" I murmured in frustration, wiping away my tears. Flammie nudged my leg again, staring at me. I sighed.

"Sorry, Flammie…I'm not feeling so great. Give me a few minutes."

He left me alone after that, leaving to wander around in the nearby grass. It looked like he was searching for a comfortable place to lay down while he waited. Since he wasn't wandering too far off, I went back to my own thoughts.

Okay…I just had to take this one thing at a time. First there was Cherrygrove City…then Mr. Pokemon's house, and then I would head back to New Bark Town. For all I knew, Professor Elm would have figured out a way for me to get home by then. There was no sense in worrying over things I couldn't control.

If I made it back home in a few days, maybe I could get away with pretending I didn't remember anything that had happened. If there wasn't a scratch on me, the police wouldn't press too hard, right? Maybe they'd assume that I had run off with a boyfriend or something…yeah. Hell, I might even use that as my excuse. Even if it got my parents mad at me, at least it was something they might believe. Then again, I had never been much of a troublemaker—

"Hooo!"

I looked up, instinctively frowning. Owls…man, it really was getting late. I just had to suck it up and keep moving.

"Hooo! Hooo!"

Wait a minute. Not an owl…was that a Hoothoot I was hearing? I looked around, but didn't see anything aside from the foliage surrounding me. Then I heard a tiny little screech, and knew that wasn't a sound that a bird could've made. My mind instantly connected the two, and I jolted to my feet.

"Flammie!" I yelled, scanning the tall grass until I saw the small plume of fire. That was when I saw the Hoothoot harassing him; he must've disturbed it while he had been poking around.

The owl Pokemon dove in for another peck, and I heard another heart wrenching squeal of pain come from Flammie. Was that blood I saw? The Hoothoot had drawn blood! That didn't happen in the games!

"Hey, get away from him!" I growled at the bird, picking up a fallen tree branch and swinging it threateningly. The Hoothoot then swooped down at me, causing me to yelp and duck.

Flammie had curled up in a tight ball, the fire on his back flaring out in self-defense. The grass around him was smoking. I was relieved to see that he was only bleeding from a small scratch, but the very fact that he was bleeding at all pissed me off.

"Hooo!" The Hoothoot was targeting Flammie again.

"Cut it out, you stupid bird!" I said, swinging the branch at it like a baseball bat. Unfortunately, the Pokemon was too quick for me to hit, and all I got out of it was an increased sense of frustration.

That was when I remembered the right way to do things.

"Aw, shit…" I muttered angrily to myself. I really didn't want to do this…but I also didn't want to fall prey to one of the weakest Pokemon ever. Waving the branch a bit to keep the Hoothoot at bay, I looked over to where Flammie was curled up.

"Flammie!" I called. "Are you listening to me?"

He turned his head a little, revealing one eye. He was looking right at me, so I took that as a yes. Okay…how to do this, then? Agh, why hadn't Professor Elm given me a crash course in Pokemon battles? Think, think…what were a Cyndaquil's starter moves?

"Let's go, Flammie! Tackle it!" I said, pointing at the Hoothoot. Flammie uncurled himself, staring at me cautiously. Did he understand what I meant?

The Hoothoot swooped down at me, raking its claws against my arm. I yelped, feeling the warmth of blood seeping through the shallow flesh wound. Attempting to retaliate, I swung and missed. Stupid bird! I swear, as soon as I got a clean hit on that thing…ack! Now it was coming straight for my face!

Before I could even duck, saw a red blur streak across my vision and hit the owl Pokemon. The Hoothoot let out a pained squawk, tumbling to the ground. Wait a minute…had Flammie done that? Now the Cyndaquil was standing ready on all fours, the fire on his back looking especially bright. The Hoothoot was dazed, just starting to recover from the sudden hit.

"G-Good job, Flammie!" I said, pleasantly surprised. Then I took on a more confident stance, lowering the branch I held. "Okay, let's do this! Use Leer!"

I was even more surprised to see that he fully understood. Had he been already trained by Professor Elm to use these moves, then? Either way, the Cyndaquil had stiffened up, watching the other Pokemon. The Hoothoot froze for a moment, stumbling back to the ground. No way, this was actually working!

"Use Tackle attack, Flammie!" I commanded, and he reacted instantly. It was amazing to watch Flammie acting so tough; I was suddenly very proud of the little guy.

When Flammie's tackle connected with the Hoothoot, it went tumbling backwards. I clapped my hands happily, and then immediately stopped when I realized I didn't have any Poke Balls to catch it with. Damn.

The Hoothoot was feebly attempting to escape. I let out a regretful sigh. Man, we really _had _it, too…

"C'mon, Flammie," I said sadly. "Good job, but let's just leave him be. I don't think he'll be messing with us now."

Flammie turned to look at me, chattering a little, and then walked over to me with a slight limp. I took note of it, frowning, and then reached into my tote bag. Maybe now would be a good time to learn how to use one of those potions…

The Cyndaquil approached until he was a few feet away from me, and then sat down to watch what I was doing. After rummaging around for a few seconds, my hand came into contact with what felt like a bottle. I pulled it out and instantly recognized it as the medicine I was looking for. All right, now how to use it…

To my relief, there were instructions on the bottle. Apparently since this was a regular potion for minor wounds, all I had to do was spray it on the hurt area. I bent down to Flammie's level, gently turning him so that I could see the place on his leg where the Hoothoot had pecked him.

"Stay still for a sec, Flammie," I murmured, not wanting to alarm him. "I'm gonna fix you up."

He just continued to watch me, so I reached forward and sprayed some of the potion on the wound. Flammie flinched, but then seemed to relax a little. It looked like it had only startled him; it hadn't hurt him at all. Feeling a little more confident, I lifted his leg slightly so that I could get the entire scratch covered.

"…There," I said after a moment, replacing the potion in my tote bag. "That should be it…?"

I trailed off, watching in shock as the small wound closed up right before my eyes. Amazing…but how? How did it work? I hadn't realized this world was so advanced…

…Ah. Then again, they did have Poke Balls, which shouldn't have been physically possible. I didn't understand how those worked, either. Maybe I could get an explanation from one of the professors when I had time…but I was sure it probably involved a lot of math formulas and boring scientific jargon. Maybe I should just accept things as they were. This was the Pokemon world, so things were bound to work pretty closely to the way they did in the game.

Still…I did _not _like the fact that the Hoothoot had actually drawn blood. Now it dawned on me…how could people make Pokemon fight till they fainted? Wasn't that kind of cruel? And if a low-level _Hoothoot _could draw blood…did that mean there were Pokemon out there that might actually kill Flammie? If that was the case, then being a trainer definitely wasn't worth it.

Well, if I ever had to battle against powerful gym leaders, then I would definitely withdraw my Pokemon before they were pushed too hard. I would rather lose the battle than let them get hurt. I didn't want to be some sort of animal abuser. Even though Pokemon weren't animals…agh, whatever. Letting them get hurt was bad, end of story.

Flammie seemed to be doing a lot better now. He rubbed up against my leg, making that cute little chattering noise of his, and I couldn't hold back a grin.

"You did an awesome job back there, Flammie," I said happily. "You saved my face from getting mauled by that Hoothoot. I owe you."

He tilted his head slightly at that. Since I was still bent over at his level, I reached out a hand to pet him on the head, cautiously stroking down towards his back. One of the flames on his back licked my hand, and I instinctively recoiled. Flammie stared at me, and I stared at my hand.

It wasn't burned…and the flame hadn't even hurt. But how…? I reached out again, hovering one hand over the flames on his back, and then plunged it right in. It just felt warm, and that was it.

"…Not even burning me?" I thought aloud, mystified. "How is that, Flammie?"

That was when I recalled the image of him curled up, his fire flaring out in self-defense. The grass around him had been burning…but right now, the fire on his back wasn't burning any of the foliage around him. So he could control the way his own flames worked? Incredible…

"If I brought a few scientists from Earth over here, they'd probably have a heart attack," I remarked with amusement. Flammie chattered, and for a moment it seemed almost as if he was agreeing with me. Not that he had any idea what I was talking about, but I still thought it was cute.

"Okay, Flammie, this changes everything," I said. "You saved my ass, and you won't burn me…so that means you get a free ride the rest of the way to Cherrygrove City!"

Reaching down, I pulled him into my arms, hugging his small body to my chest. He didn't struggle at all, just making a few small noises as he got himself settled in. I resisted the urge to squeeze and cuddle him, instead choosing to start moving on. His fire burned just low enough so that it wasn't flaring in my face, and it was mildly warm.

All right, no more stopping from here on out. I wasn't in the mood for any more random assaults from evil birds. I continued walking down the forest path.

From then on, not much else of interest happened. Flammie looked around curiously as I walked, seeing everything from an entirely new angle. I wondered if he'd ever been outside of New Bark Town before.

We saw a couple of Metapods hanging from a tree, and plenty of Rattata ran from us during the trek. It was still really strange seeing Pokemon regularly in the wild…hell, seeing them at all was strange. I still couldn't believe I was carrying a Cyndaquil in my arms. If I could just forget about what I had left behind, I would think all of this was pretty awesome. Now if only I could find some sort of indestructible shield to protect Flammie with…

Just as it was starting to get a little too dark, I started seeing lights in the distance. Finally, that had to be Cherrygrove City. Walking a little faster, I made my way in the direction of the city lights.

* * *

"I'm sorry, we're currently all out. We should be getting in a shipment tomorrow, though, if you're willing to wait," the woman at the counter told me with a smile. I let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'll just have to do that, then," I replied reluctantly.

Upon arriving in the city, the first thing I had done was head straight for the Poke Mart. I couldn't help it; it was one of the first things that caught my eye. It was a small building right next to the supermarket, and I just couldn't miss the flashing blue Poke Ball sign in front of it. If there was one thing I wanted to have right now, it was a Poke Ball or two.

The store in itself was pretty fascinating. I must have spent twenty minutes just browsing the shelves before I actually asked about the thing I actually needed. There were a lot of potions lining the shelves, and they weren't just restricted to the ones I'd seen from the game. I did see super and hyper potions on the shelf, but there were also ones specifically made for certain kinds of wounds. There was also an ingestible form of the potion I currently carried in my tote bag.

I saw healing items for all sorts of status ailments and many other typical items a trainer would want, but what I looked at most was the sorts of things you wouldn't see in the game. It kind of reminded me of a pet store in some aspects; there were grooming brushes for certain types of Pokemon, Pokemon toys, and specially made Pokemon food and treats. Within five minutes of entering the store, I wanted to buy everything.

I probably would have, if I had had any money of my own. Fortunately all I had was what Professor Elm gave me, and I wasn't about to sacrifice my food and shelter money on a whim. Instead, I had just decided to ask the lady at the counter if they had any Poke Balls. She had confirmed that they were out of stock…just like they had been at this point in the game. Ah, well…

Upon leaving the store, the next thing my eyes were drawn to was the Pokemon Center. Since Flammie was in relatively good condition, though, I decided not to head over there just yet. I didn't want to trouble the nurses; they probably had enough work on their hands as it was. Though I was curious as to how the center worked…did they have machines that instantly healed Pokemon, like they did in the game?

Ah, it didn't matter right now. Rather than wander around the city for the next hour, I asked someone for directions. They pointed out the inn, and I headed inside to get a room.

After a quick meal (I fed Flammie scraps, though I wasn't sure if I was supposed to or not), we both got some long-needed rest. Maybe everything would go back to normal in the morning…

* * *

I had a moment of panic when I woke up and realized that I wasn't in my room. The feeling quickly faded, though, when I felt the little Cyndaquil nestled into my side. He had jumped on to the bed with me at some point during the night, despite the little bed I had made him with spare blankets on the floor. Not that it mattered; I didn't mind at all. He was nice and warm.

As I sat in bed, I pulled out the small money pouch Professor Elm had given me. It looked like I had just enough to grab breakfast and a little something for Flammie. That would hold me off until we got back to New Bark Town.

We went to a nearby diner, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that Pokemon were allowed almost everywhere around here. There weren't any signs forbidding it, and I saw all sorts of people and their Pokemon coming and going as I ate. Speaking of which, I ordered pancakes decorated to look like Poke Balls. Flammie didn't care for them.

And then, at long last, we headed for Mr. Pokemon's house before I got sidetracked again. On the way, I practiced a few more times with Flammie on some unfortunate Caterpies. To my delight, it turned out that Flammie was very well trained. He had just been taken by surprise with that Hoothoot…and I was sure my inattention hadn't helped. A strong trainer was probably just as important as a strong Pokemon.

Flammie knew how to use Leer and Tackle well enough, and I managed to teach him how to use Ember. It was kind of like teaching a trick to a very smart pet. Once I got Flammie to understand what I wanted him to do, he recognized the command immediately. I was sure there were some attacks that he'd have to teach himself as he grew stronger, but for the time being I thought he was pretty well off. Part of me wondered how TMs and HMs worked. What did they do, beam the information into the Pokemon's brain? From what I had seen so far, I guess something like that would be pretty normal in this world. Ack…everything was so weird here.

After a long walk uphill, the house I had been looking for finally became visible through the trees. Smiling, I headed towards it with Flammie tagging closely behind.

I knocked on the door, and it was opened a few seconds later. A dark haired, middle aged man answered the door, looking down at me curiously.

"Can I help you?" He asked, sounding pleasant enough. I immediately pulled out the e-mail from Professor Elm, holding it up.

"I'm here for Professor Elm," I said with a friendly smile, and he smiled back.

"Ah! You must be Brittany. Come in for a moment, I'll show you what I have for him."

I followed him in, feeling a bit strange since this was someone's house instead of a lab. As he shuffled around to find whatever he needed to find, I examined my surroundings. It was a relatively normal home, besides the fact that it was out in the middle of nowhere and there was an abnormal amount of bookcases in here. Well, I guess a researcher _would _have a lot of books. They were probably about Pokemon; I kind of wished I could snag one for myself. Maybe one of these towns would have a library.

There was another man in the room as well, who I noticed was regarding me with what looked like interest. I quickly looked away, uncomfortable at the attention, especially considering who it was coming from. Professor Oak…who _wouldn't _recognize that man? Wow…it was so odd seeing him in real life. The first time I had ever seen an image of him, it had been when I played Pokemon Blue. I couldn't have been more than eight years old at the time. Now I was seventeen, and in the same freaking _room_ as him.

Mr. Pokemon came back, holding a large egg in his hands. I had seen pictures of ostrich eggs before, and this was about the size of one. It was covered in the characteristic red and blue markings of a Togepi egg.

"I'd like you to deliver this to Professor Elm for me, if you could," Mr. Pokemon said, offering it to me. I took it, nodding.

"Is that everything?" I asked.

"Not quite," another voice said, and I turned to see Professor Oak approaching us now. He seemed to be about to say something, but then he paused and held out one hand. "Oh, where are my manners? I should have introduced myself when you first came in. I'm Professor Oak, a researcher from Kanto. Mr. Pokemon and Professor Elm are both old acquaintances of mine."

"Ah, nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand. This would never stop being weird.

With the formalities over with, the professor seemed to sober a bit. He looked at me, frowning thoughtfully.

"What I was going to say was that Professor Elm has informed the both of us of your…unique situation," he explained. I raised my eyebrows, surprised.

"He…has?" I asked.

Mr. Pokemon nodded. "I received a lengthy e-mail on it just this morning. To be honest, neither of us has heard of anything like this happening before."

"I can't imagine it would be very common…" I mumbled, frowning. I felt Flammie nudge my leg, like he tended to do when he sensed that I was troubled.

"Rest assured, we'll be doing whatever we can to help you get home," Professor Oak said in a reassuring voice. "You're planning on searching for the Pokemon that brought you here, aren't you?"

"I'd like to, yes," I replied a little timidly. "I'd rather try finding the Pokemon myself instead of waiting for someone else to do it for me…"

The professor smiled approvingly. "In that case, I do have something that will be of use to you."

Oh! I knew what was gonna happen next. I watched with growing anticipation as he reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a red device. That was…

"This is the latest model of Pokedex," Professor Oak explained. "It's a handheld encyclopedia that will record information on any Pokemon you see or catch. It's still incomplete, but it should be helpful on your search."

He placed it in my hands, and I resisted the urge to immediately start playing with it. Instead, I looked up at him with respect. "Th…Thank you," I said, pocketing it.

I was about to say more, but suddenly my Poke Gear started ringing. I figured out how to answer with relative ease, since Annette had pounded it into my head earlier. Pressing a small button on the side of the device, I detached part of it and held it to my ear like a cell phone.

"…Hello?" I said, frowning slightly.

"Brittany?" An urgent voice came from the other line, and I recognized it as Professor Elm. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Mr. Pokemon's house," I answered. "I just got the egg…what's wrong, Professor?"

"It's just terrible…" He replied, sounding distraught. "The Totodile is gone!"

Ah, so that's what this was about. That douche had finally snatched the Totodile. Not that I could really bitch about it too much; I had known it was going to happen, and hadn't done anything to prevent it.

"…What?" I said, feigning confusion. "One of your Pokemon…?"

"We've looked everywhere, but…oh, I think it may have been stolen," he replied, upset. "There's no telling what might happen to that Pokemon! If the thief manages to get away with it…"

"I'll come help look for it," I said immediately.

"Thank you," he said, not sounding any better. "Please hurry. The police are here, I have to…

"All right. I'll be there soon, Professor," I said, and hung up. Professor Oak and Mr. Pokemon were both giving me looks by now, and I made a vague, impatient gesture.

"I'm sorry, I've gotta go! Something's come up. Thank you for everything!" I said, picking up the Togepi egg and bolting out the door, with Flammie at my heels.

It was time to meet my rival…and I really wasn't looking forward to it.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! What did you think? I know you're going to review, because you're that awesome. ;D**

**Also! There is a poll on my profile that I'd like you, my lovely readers, to vote on real quick. It's just concerning the name of OC Brit's rival, since I honestly can't decide. If you don't like the choices given, just tell me what you think a good name would be~ I'll consider everything and choose...something. Meh.**

**Next time: Rival DOUCHEBAG wants to battle! Aaaagh!**


	3. Meeting Silver

**A/N: Another fast update. XD This is abnormal for me. Usually I update every couple of weeks, not every four days. I guess writer's block hasn't kicked in yet. Or maybe I just have too much time on my hands.**

**Anyway! As for our beloved rival...I just went with the canon name for him. Though I usually name him something different in my games, I realized that I've been thinking of him as Silver for a while now. XD It wouldn't feel right to call him anything else.**

**You'll also notice that a lot of characters are older in this; particularly Silver and some of the gym leaders. Since I'm trying to be realistic with this...I figured a ten or eleven-year-old Silver just wouldn't be taken seriously. OC Brit would just shove him out of the way whenever he tried to battle. :P Ack, I'm rambling. I'll just get on with the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

I had to slow down after a few moments of running downhill; I realized that this wasn't going to work with me carrying the Togepi egg. If I tripped and fell on my face, the egg might just crack open all over the ground. Then Professor Elm might proceed to murder me.

Frowning, I hurriedly pushed the egg into my tote bag. I had a few spare clothing articles tucked in there that I had borrowed from Annette, so now I arranged them around the egg as a protective cushion. Since there wasn't anything very hard or sharp in the bag that could damage the egg, I was pretty confident that it would be safe for now. I shouldered the bag once more, resuming my run down the slope.

Flammie kept up with me pretty well, but I repeatedly looked down at him. "Flammie, are you okay?" I called to him. "Want me to carry you?"

In response, the Cyndaquil sprinted ahead of me. I took the hint, and ran a little faster to catch up with him. He had probably sensed that something was wrong…but damn, he ran fast for a little guy. If I had tried this with a toy breed of dog, which was about his size, the dog would've lasted all of five minutes with such short legs. I didn't think I'd be underestimating Flammie from now on.

At a run, it took us a good twenty minutes to make it to Cherrygrove City. I wasn't much of an athlete, so I had to stop and take a breather halfway through. If I hadn't stopped, it probably would've only taken fifteen minutes. Anyway, I moved through the city at a fast walking pace, not wanting to attract too much attention by sprinting. As soon as I reached the outskirts near Route 29, though, I started running again. Once I turned a nearby corner, the route would be in sight.

Unfortunately, all I saw when I turned the corner was a blob of black very close to my face, and then I rammed really hard into something. I fell backwards to the ground, just barely managing to save my bag from being crushed under me, and let out a quiet groan. I heard a thump and clatter as whoever I had bumped into dropped all of their things, and instantly felt my insides churn with guilt. How clumsy could I get?

I stumbled to my feet, bowing my head and immediately starting to apologize. "I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Watch where you're going," a voice snapped, causing me to halt midsentence.

My head shot up, and my suspicions were confirmed. In front of me stood a very disgruntled looking redhead. Hello, Douchebag. I missed you.

Still, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Regardless of who it was, that had been pretty stupid of me to run around a corner at a sprint. I didn't even know what to say now.

"Uh…sorry?" I tried, blinking. Christ, the guy was taller than me. I thought all of the main characters in Pokemon games were pre-teens, though! This guy couldn't be any younger than seventeen! Why the hell did he have to be so intimidating? That glare…

He just scowled at me, before angrily stooping over to pick up the things he'd dropped. I didn't move, still staring at him. What was I supposed to do now? Just go on my merry way? Maybe I could get away with doing that. Hey, if I never picked a bone with this guy, maybe he'd never bother me!

"Well, um…" I edged my way around him. "Sorry 'bout that…I'm going now, 'kay bye—"

"Ugh!" I heard him grunt, and had to look. Flammie was letting out a low rumble, and I realized he was growling and clinging to the guy's leg. The redhead turned his head in my direction, clenching his fists. "Control it, will you?"

"Flammie, what the hell are you doing?" I asked the Pokemon, staring at him in confusion. Did Cyndaquils have a douche radar or something?

Flammie detached himself from the redhead, turning to me and obviously trying to tell me something. Ah…he kept staring at the Poke Ball the boy had picked up. That must have been it…Flammie knew about the Totodile and wasn't going to let me leave until I did something. I would just get him to cut it out by putting him in a Poke Ball, except Professor Elm hadn't given me any. Damn it all, I just couldn't win.

The redhead stood up, brushing himself off and frowning at me in irritation. He could tell I was about to say something.

"Sorry, man, I don't know what's come over him," I said with a shrug. Then I stared at him for a moment, crossing my arms. "…Hey, by the way, you look familiar. Aren't you that guy that was hanging around Professor Elm's lab yesterday?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What about it?"

"Well, apparently a rare Pokemon was stolen from there," I replied. "You seemed kinda shady to me, you're coming from the direction of New Bark Town, and my Cyndaquil seems pretty pissed off at you. Call me crazy, but I'm just a little suspicious."

He suddenly relaxed, staring at me calmly. "It looks like you got your own Pokemon from that lab, too. Since you've got me all figured out, why don't we see who has the stronger Pokemon? Your Cyndaquil…"

He lifted the Poke Ball he held as he spoke, and suddenly hurled it at the ground in front of him. "…against my Totodile! Go!"

I stared at him incredulously. "Battle you? I should be calling the cops! Why the hell should I—"

"Totodile, use Tackle."

The redhead cut me off in the middle of my sentence, sending the blue Pokemon forward to ram my Cyndaquil hard. Flammie went flying backwards with a whimper of pain, and I glared at my new rival. He was giving me an infuriating smirk.

"Okay, Douchebag. If you enjoy getting your ass kicked _that _much, I guess I can spare a minute or two. Flammie, let's do this!"

Despite my angry words, I was feeling pretty nervous. I had never fought a trainer before, and I remembered this battle being kind of tough if you hadn't leveled up a little bit beforehand. Not to mention, I was at a type disadvantage…I had a feeling Ember wouldn't do much against a water Pokemon like Totodile. Fortunately, it didn't look like Totodile had been taught any water attacks yet…

Flammie got to his feet, spreading his legs out and digging his small claws firmly into the ground in his usual battle stance. The fire on his back flared out brilliantly, and my confidence level went up a little. Well, maybe I failed as a trainer, but Flammie sure was an awesome little Pokemon.

At Douchebag's command, the Totodile ran forward to attack Flammie again. I yelled at him to dodge, and he managed to. The Totodile let out a small growl and lunged for my Cyndaquil once more.

"Flammie," I called, feeling tense. "Use Leer!"

Flammie immediately stood his ground, glaring at the oncoming Totodile. The Totodile hesitated, slowing down and looking slightly unnerved by Flammie's sudden boldness.

The redhead looked frustrated. "Totodile, move!"

The Totodile blinked, stuck in a staring contest with Flammie. The Cyndaquil's fire flared up even more, looking threatening. I briefly wondered how Flammie felt about this battle; he probably knew the Totodile, as they had both been kept in the same lab. He probably understood that the only way to save it from Douchebag here was to defeat it first.

"Tackle it, Flammie!" I commanded, and was satisfied when Flammie launched himself forward. It was a perfect shot, and his head connected fully with the Totodile's stomach before sending it tumbling backwards.

Maybe I stood a chance here. This guy had just stolen his Pokemon, so this was essentially his first battle with it. The Totodile hadn't formed any sort of bond with him the way Flammie had formed one with me, and it hadn't received any prior training with this guy.

Screw it. I had to see how well this attack worked…

While the Totodile was still down, I called out another command. "All right, now use Ember!"

Flammie arched his back as it flared once more, sending small flames into the fallen Totodile. I gritted my teeth, trying not to wince as the Totodile let out a growl of pain. I didn't like hurting Pokemon like this…how could people battle day in and day out? Maybe that was just another reason why this guy had to be stopped. That Pokemon didn't deserve a future of being used by a complete jerk.

The redhead scowled. "Totodile! Use Scratch!"

I swore as the Totodile got up, sinking its claws into Flammie's side and drawing blood. Dammit! Not again!

"Keep at it, Flammie!" I called, and the Cyndaquil spun in a fast circle, sending more flames flying at the Totodile. I noted with discomfort that he left little beads of blood in the grass as he moved.

Flammie managed to dodge the next few swipes of the Totodile's claws, but he couldn't avoid every attack. Within a minute or two, he was covered in scratches. The Totodile was getting sloppy, too; I could tell it wasn't feeling so strong anymore, either. The Ember attacks weren't affecting it as much as they had the Caterpies from earlier, but they still clearly caused damage.

My Cyndaquil rushed forth with one more tackle, connecting hard with the Totodile's side. The Totodile tumbled to the ground, and didn't get up. Flammie stood rigid, ignoring the tiny streams of blood flowing from his many cuts.

"Totodile! Get up!" Douchebag snapped, and the stolen Pokemon struggled on the ground.

Suddenly it lashed out, latching its sharp teeth on one of Flammie's legs. The Cyndaquil let out a cry of pain, as I gasped in dismay. Using its strong jaws to hold Flammie's weight, the Totodile used the last of its strength to hurl the Cyndaquil against a tree. Flammie connected with a hard thump, and collapsed just as his opponent did.

"Flammie!" I cried, rushing over to him.

"Totodile, return," I heard the redhead say, and there was a noise that I assumed was the sound of his Pokemon being drawn back in. I lifted Flammie up carefully, cradling his limp body against my chest.

"Hmm…it's still too weak," Douchebag mused in a cold voice.

"Don't you even know your own Pokemon's gender?" I wondered aloud in an irritated tone. I was shaking a little.

"Why should I care?" He asked, and I turned to look at him. His back was to me. "Pokemon are just tools. Totodile's gender doesn't affect anything."

"You're a douche," I told him, scowling.

Then I spotted something on the ground, gleaming in the light of the sun. I reached down, picking it up, and realized it was a plastic card. Douchebag's photo was on the front, as well as a few other random things. What caught my attention, though, was the name at the top.

"Silver…?" I murmured. His canon name, I should've known. I guess Douchebag was a little too much to hope for.

I heard him swear, and a hand suddenly reached forward and blocked my view of the card before I could read anything else. He grabbed it, yanking it away from me and glaring angrily. Before I could say anything else, he had turned and bolted from the scene.

I was tempted to chase him and scream bloody murder to attract attention to him, but that was when I remembered the unconscious Cyndaquil in my arms. Flammie took priority. I had to get him to a Pokemon Center, and fast.

The Pokemon Center I had seen earlier was only a short walk from where I had met Silver, but I still managed to get lost in my search for it. After an agonizing ten minutes of wandering around, I finally found someone to ask for directions. Once that was over with, I found the place rather quickly.

It was a large building with a red roof and a Poke Ball on the front; the Poke Ball was practically the symbol of all Pokemon related institutions, so I was pretty confident that this was the right place. I approached the building, heading through the door and hugging Flammie tightly to me.

The inside felt like a hospital, though I guess that wasn't much of a surprise. I entered a large area that looked like a waiting room; there were sofas and chairs scattered around, with a couple televisions on the walls. There were a bunch of other trainers here, too. Some were sitting across from each other, playing cards, while others relaxed with their recently healed Pokemon.

I spotted the front desk pretty easily; it was far in the back of the room. A generic looking pink haired nurse stood at the counter. I wondered for a moment if there would be someone like her at every Pokemon Center I went through. Whatever, it didn't matter.

We made eye contact, and I rushed Flammie to the desk. I had no idea how I was supposed to do this, and I desperately hoped that I wouldn't get stuck with some massive medical bill. Instead of wasting time by talking, I just gave the nurse a pleading look.

She saw the Pokemon in my arms and nodded immediately. Looking over one shoulder, she called out to a dark haired nurse that had just come out of one of the back rooms. The other nurse came forward, and I willingly handed Flammie over to her and watched as she jogged off with the injured Cyndaquil in her arms.

"Do you have a Poke Ball for him?" The pink haired nurse asked me gently.

I shook my head. "I…no, I wasn't given one…"

She smiled. "It's all right. We have plenty of spares." The nurse then bent over a little, pulling a clipboard from a cubby that was behind the desk. She set the clipboard down, looking up at me again. "Can I have a first and last name?"

"Brittany Furness," I said, shifting uneasily.

She asked me to spell it out for her, and I did. When she was finished filling the form for me, she pulled it off the clipboard and set it next to another small stack of forms.

"We'll have him all fixed up for you in a little bit," she told me, nodding. "Why don't you sit down and relax?"

"Th-Thank you," I said shakily, before turning and heading over to an empty couch. Thank God…I'd been half expecting her to give me some look of disapproval at letting Flammie get so beat up. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

I sat down, taking a quick peek in my tote bag to make sure the Togepi egg was all right. Then I pulled the phone piece off of my Pokegear, dialing Professor Elm's number. It was about time I broke the bad news to him. As it rang, I heaved a sigh.

"Hello? Brittany?"

"Hey, Professor," I said glumly. "I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

He hesitated. "…The good news, I suppose."

"I found the Totodile."

"You did?" His voice sounded urgent, but then he faltered again. "…Oh, no…and the bad news?"

"I couldn't get it back from the thief," I replied.

"You saw the thief?" Professor Elm asked, brightening up a little. "Hold on, I need you to speak to someone for me."

I quieted down, waiting as I heard the phone being handed to someone. I had an idea of who I was about to speak to, and I was feeling kind of nervous.

"Hello, Miss Furness?" A deeper voice said on the other line.

"…Yes?" I said hesitantly.

"This is Officer Jacobs. I'm from the CCPD. Can you give me a description of the thief, please?"

CCPD? Cherrygrove City Police Department? Oh, that was cute.

I told the officer what happened and described Silver to him as well as I could, giving him height and age estimates as well. It felt kind of strange, the idea that the douchebag might actually be arrested because of me, but I wasn't sure if I should care or not. I mean, he became less of a douche by the end of the game, but…gah, I was just thinking too much about it. With luck, I wouldn't be _here _by the end of the game.

"Silver, hm…" The police officer paused. "You didn't get a last name?"

"No, sorry," I replied. "He took his card back before I could see, and then he ran off."

"I see," he said quietly. "Thank you for the help. I'm putting Professor Elm back on the line."

I waited as the phone was handed back over, shifting slightly in my seat.

"Brittany?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," I said when the professor's voice greeted me.

"I overheard your story. Where are you now?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Ah, don't worry about me…" I said quietly. "I'm at a Pokemon Center. Flammie fainted." I felt immensely guilty as I said this; so much for taking good care of the little guy.

"Flammie?"

"Oh, that's what I've been calling the Cyndaquil," I said, feeling my cheeks turn a little pink. I was glad this was a phone conversation, so he couldn't see my sudden sheepishness.

"I'm just relieved he's all right," Professor Elm said after a moment, perking up. "Do you still have the egg that Mr. Pokemon gave to you?"

I smiled a little, relieved at the change of subject. "Yeah, it's safe and sound. I'll bring it to you as soon as Flammie's feeling better."

"That's good. I'm going to—h-hey, don't touch that! Oh, dear…all of these officers—"

"…Professor?" I raised my eyebrows. "Everything all right up there?"

"I'm going to have to let you go," Professor Elm said, sounding dismayed. "I _knew _having so many police officers in the lab was a bad idea…"

"Um…well, good luck cleaning up after them, Professor," I said after a second or two, smiling with amusement. Someone had probably broken something after getting a little too nosy.

We said our goodbyes, and I reattached the phone piece to my Pokegear after ending the call. I let out a sigh, leaning my elbows on to my knees. Man, what a day…

Flammie still wasn't ready, so I looked up, wondering what to do next. Several new trainers had entered since I had come in, and now I looked around at all of them. It was pretty interesting, since I hadn't seen a lot of Pokemon in real life yet. One of the people who walked in had a Pikachu, and it took a conscious effort for me to stop myself from running over and asking to pet it. With my luck, I'd probably get electrocuted.

I saw a Machop, Rattata, Kakuna, and even a Butterfree in the next few minutes. I found myself watching the various trainers intently, comparing how they acted around their Pokemon to how I acted around mine. I saw some Pokemon who were worse off than Flammie, and couldn't stop myself from wincing. Hopefully Silver had taken his Totodile to a Pokemon center somewhere…

Shaking my head slightly to clear it, I attempted to distract myself. The nearest television was showing some sort of kid's show, which caught my attention for about half a second.

"Excuse me," a masculine voice said from my right, and I looked up.

The first thing I noticed was blue hair, and the connection instantly clicked in my mind. Holy crap, it was Falkner!

"Um…yes?" I asked, giving him a surprised look.

"You don't seem to be busy," he said. "Could you watch my Pidgeotto for a moment? He's very well behaved. I would put him in his Poke Ball, but I'm using it to contain the wild Hoothoot I just caught," he explained. From the way he was speaking, I assumed the Hoothoot probably wasn't nearly as well behaved.

"Sure, no problem," I said with a nod. Then something else struck me. "…You caught a Hoothoot in broad daylight?"

Falkner grimaced. "I found it along Route 29. Some idiot trainer just left it there, all beaten up. I don't know what they were thinking."

Oh Jesus Christ. I just couldn't catch a break.

I laughed nervously. "Uh, wow…what a dumb thing to do, haha…ha."

He didn't seem to take note of my stupidity, instead allowing the Pidgeotto on his arm to jump down and perch on the back of the couch. "Be good, Pidgeotto," he told it, before heading off to the front desk. I let out a quiet sigh, feeling my face turn pink with embarrassment. At least he couldn't see that now.

Gah! It wasn't my fault Professor Elm hadn't given me any Poke Balls…it had just been self-defense…oh, man. The first gym leader I had ever met thought I was an idiot. Even though he didn't know it was me, the insult still stung a little.

Falkner's Pidgeotto was staring at me, almost as if it knew the truth. I swear, those eyes could see into my soul. I stuck my tongue out at it; it ignored me and began preening itself.

Pidgeotto…this was Falkner's most challenging Pokemon to beat, wasn't it? I remembered having trouble in my playthroughs because it kept using Roost to recover HP. Then I had beaten him, and made my Pidgeotto learn Roost, and did a happy dance in my head. That had been a good day.

Ah, now that was one thing I had to do once I got my hands on some Poke Balls. I had to catch a Pidgey for myself. Pidgeot was one of my favorite Pokemon, after all. Plus, Flammie was gonna need a friend.

I glanced over at the Pidgeotto again, marveling at it. Such a proud looking bird…kind of intimidating, but still…and man, it was pretty big, too.

Suddenly Falkner had come back, plopping down on the couch next to me and very nearly giving me a heart attack. Don't do that, scary gym leader! Agh!

"Thanks for the help," he said, clearly not sensing my inner turmoil. I blinked, feeling as if he'd suddenly realize that I was the trainer he was so annoyed at. Really, it was going to happen any minute now, and then I'd have to run away to wallow in my own shame. The Pidgeotto would clue him in on it or something.

"Oh, it's no trouble," I replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. "…By the way, aren't you Falkner? You're Violet City's gym leader, right?"

"That's right," he said, smiling slightly. "I'm impressed. You must be a trainer if you recognize me that easily."

"I'm actually just starting out," I admitted sheepishly. I wasn't going to tell him I came from New Bark Town. He might make the connection. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

Falkner frowned. "I was actually coming to buy Poke Balls, but it looks like this city hasn't received a shipment yet, either. Not only that, the entire CCPD has been running amok like a Doduo with its heads cut off, and they've been asking me to help catch some thief all day."

"Ugh, that guy…" I muttered before I could help it, and the gym leader gave me a penetrating gaze—not unlike the one his Pidgeotto had given me.

"You know about this?" he asked.

"I came from New Bark Town on an errand for Professor Elm," I explained. "I ran into the thief on my way back. I somehow got caught up in a battle with him, my Cyndaquil got beaten up, and here I am."

Falkner scowled. "…I see. When I find that theif, I'll teach him a lesson…"

"Brittany and Falkner," A woman's voice called our names, and we looked up. The same dark haired nurse from earlier had exited the back room. In one arm, she held my Cyndaquil. I shot to my feet, rushing over to her.

"Flammie!" I said gleefully. The Cyndaquil squirmed out of her arms to jump into mine, and I pulled him into a tight hug as he chattered in my ear.

I heard Falkner walk up as well, not spazzing out the way I had. He was too cool for that, apparently. The nurse handed him a Poke Ball, which I assumed had the evil Hoothoot within it. I was kind of glad she hadn't brought it out the way she had brought out Flammie; it probably would have attacked me or something, and that wouldn't have been pretty.

Falkner thanked the nurse, holding out one arm so that his Pidgeotto could fly forward and land on it. Then he turned in the direction of the door.

"I'm heading back to Violet City, then," he said, and then looked over his shoulder at me. "Brittany, right? I'd better be seeing you in the near future. Don't disappoint me."

"Yessir," I said, hugging Flammie to me. He smirked slightly, before leaving the Pokemon Center with one final wave.

Falkner, eh…he wasn't so bad. Even though he had indirectly called me an idiot…

I heaved a sigh for the millionth time, thanking the nurse before lifting my tote bag and heading out the door as well. Now it was time to head back to New Bark Town…man, this day couldn't get any longer.

**A/N: Yay for Falkner and his awesome blue hair! :D**

**Uh, yeah. Not much else to say here, so...reviewww~ ;D**

**Next time: Back to New Bark Town!**


	4. Preparations

**A/N: Whew, finally updated! Sorry this took so long...this chapter was hard to write for some reason. I think it's because I kept getting distracted with other stuff every time I attempted writing. XD Anyway, it's not extremely eventful, but things will pick up soon. I hope. :P**

**Thank you for all the reviews and support~!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

The sky overhead started fading to a pale shade of pink as I made my way back towards Route 29. I briefly considered checking out the Poke Mart again, but I was pretty sure they still didn't have any Poke Balls, so I decided against it. Maybe when I made my way back here again…I'd have to visit the beach here, too. I couldn't exactly go fishing for any water Pokemon, but after all this bullshit, I think I deserved a day off.

Nothing else really happened that was noteworthy; I passed a few police officers and tried to blend in with the crowd, even though I was pretty sure they wouldn't even know who the hell I was anyway. Flammie was currently taking a ride in my tote bag, his head poking out. I could see that he was taking care not to sit on the egg, and once again praised him in my mind for his intelligence.

We passed by the area where I had battled Silver, and I paused to regard the bloodstains that had been left behind. My lip curled in distaste; though it wasn't too bad or even noticeable at all to the average passerby, I still couldn't believe that Pokemon could make each other _bleed._ The thought of it was still an absurdity to me. Then again, reality was never kid friendly, now was it?

I sighed, passing by the blood as Flammie peeked out of my bag curiously. He looked around for a minute, before settling back into the little space he had made for himself.

"Here's hoping we don't run into any more Hoothoots," I said to him, continuing down the forest path. Flammie chattered in agreement, and I had to grin. Well, it was still early evening, so we were (hopefully) safe from any further assaults.

The walk back to town was about as exciting as it had been when I had been going in the opposite direction, minus my embarrassing little blunder with the owl Pokemon. To pass the time, I attempted to name off a few more legendaries in my head, trying to figure out which one could have brought me here.

Let's see…it hadn't been small, but it wasn't particularly huge, either…Mew or Mewtwo? Latios or Latias? One of the later generation Pokemon that I really wasn't familiar with? Geez…this was going to be difficult, I could tell already. What if it was a Pokemon from the Hoenn or Sinnoh regions? Was I going to have to travel all over the freaking world for this thing?

"This is way too freaking complicated…" I grumbled, mostly for Flammie's benefit. Though talking to him did help me, too; it made me feel a little less alone.

Oh! There was one thing I had forgotten, now that I had time to think…

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Pokedex that Professor Oak had given me, flipping it open. After a second or two I was able to find the power button, and the two screens lit up.

"Gee, this feels familiar," I remarked with a snort, noting that one of them was a touch screen. I messed around with it, and found that it looked remarkably similar to the Pokedex used in HeartGold. That wasn't too much of a surprise, I guess. The familiarity was kind of comforting, though; if I tried hard enough, I could pretend that I was playing the game on my DS, instead of being caught up in this mess. As I walked down the path, avoiding tall grass where Pokemon might be hiding, I fiddled around with the device as Flammie watched curiously.

Suddenly I came to a red button on the screen that said "SCAN". Well, it couldn't hurt to get a first entry, right? I turned the Pokedex around, looking at the back side of it, and saw what looked like a camera lens. Okay…so I just pointed it at a Pokemon, then?

I pointed the lens at Flammie, and pressed the button. The screen blinked for a second; when a loading bar popped up, I pulled the device out of Flammie's face and continued my little investigation. After a few seconds, a picture of Flammie popped up on the screen.

"Ha!" I grinned with amusement, and then took a closer look. There were some statistics beneath Flammie's picture, displayed on the screen below.

"_It is timid, and always curls itself up in a ball. If attacked, it flares up its back for protection."_

That sounded familiar, too…eh? There was more information here…its type, its weaknesses and strengths, its diet…man, there was all sorts of extra stuff here. I had a feeling this was going to be very helpful in the future…but really, how did it get all that information from one simple scan?

After messing around with the Pokedex for a few more minutes, I finally figured it out. From the looks of it, all the scan did was detect what type of Pokemon it was—then it went to an online database to retrieve more information. Whenever I encountered a Pokemon that Professor Oak had already documented, all I had to do was scan it and I'd have all the information I needed. Hmm…I wonder what ones he hadn't encountered yet? That must have been what he had meant when he had said it was still incomplete.

So by scanning new Pokemon, especially ones that I had caught, I was effectively gathering data for the professor to document. Well, it wasn't quite as simple as it had been in the game, but I wasn't complaining.

Flammie's diet…speaking of which, maybe Professor Elm would have some food for the little guy once I got back.

My stomach suddenly growled at the thought of food, and I let out a groan. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, either.

Pocketing the Pokedex again, I trudged onward, intent on getting all of this crap over with. Hopefully Annette would take pity on me and give me something to eat. Otherwise, I was gonna fry me up a Hoothoot…

* * *

"Hello? Professor?" I knocked on the doorframe as I walked in, since the lab door was already open. It was most likely because the police had been in and out of here all day. From what I could see now, though, they were all gone.

Although there wasn't an answer, I found the researcher rather quickly once I had gone further into the room. He was on his knees, attempting to look under some large machinery as he reached for something that had clearly gotten lost under there. Now that I was looking more closely, though, I could see a lot of papers scattered on the floor, too.

"Professor Elm," I called, a little more loudly. He jumped, bumping his head on the machine he had been looking under, and I nearly facepalmed. Instead, I settled for a wry smile. "Uh…do you need some help?"

"Brittany!" He got to his feet, smiling a little sheepishly as he attempted to cover up his blunder. "Well, it's good to see you made it back in one piece. Unfortunately, as you can see, all the chaos from today has left me a little disorganized…"

I had a feeling he was just disorganized in general, but I didn't voice that thought. Instead, I just settled for a shrug.

"Well, at least it's over with," I said, and reached into my bag. "Anyway, I brought the egg."

Flammie climbed out of the tote bag to make way for my probing hand, and I bent my knees a little so he could hop to the floor. Then I scooped the egg up with one hand, reaching in with the other to support it as I pulled it out of the bag.

Professor Elm's face lit up when he saw the egg, and he carefully took it from me to examine it.

"Ah, I see…" he murmured, sounding intrigued. "I don't think I've seen this kind before. I'll put it in the incubator."

I watched curiously as he turned away from me, walking up to some other machine that I hadn't really paid any attention to before. An incubator, huh…interesting. Did it speed up the hatching process, or what? I didn't think Pokemon eggs required the same treatment as normal eggs…

"So," the professor said as he messed around with the machine, "did Mr. Pokemon have anything to say regarding your situation?"

"He and Professor Oak said they'd look into it," I replied, frowning a little. "But they didn't have any immediate solutions, no."

Professor Elm looked over at me, surprised. "So Professor Oak was there, was he? I didn't know he was in the area."

I nodded, and then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right," I murmured, fumbling for the device in my pocket. "He gave me this, too." I pulled it out, holding it up where the professor could see. I saw his eyes widen, and he made his way over to me after setting the egg down.

"Is that…" He paused to adjust his glasses, taking a closer look. Then his face broke out into a cheery grin. "It is! That's a Pokedex, and the latest version, from the looks of it. Do you know what this means, Brittany?"

"Uh…" I faltered, blinking. "I'm well equipped?"

He laughed at that. "Professor Oak doesn't entrust those to just anyone. He must have seen great potential in you as a trainer!"

I shifted a little, frowning. "I don't know about that, Professor. I mean…I'm just a clueless teenager. Really." I didn't want to tell him about the whole Hoothoot thing if I didn't have to, but…

"You don't give yourself enough credit," the researcher said, fiddling around with something on his desk.

"After all," he said, looking over one shoulder, "I can see that your Cyndaquil has taken quite a liking to you."

"Eh? Flammie?" I looked down to where the Pokemon sat, and he stared innocently up at me.

"Not only that," Professor Elm continued, "it seems you handled yourself well when you encountered that thief. It was smart of you to rush to the Pokemon Center like that—"

"Aw, but professor, that's just common sense," I said, frowning. "What else would I have done?"

"Chased after the thief," he replied, raising his eyebrows. "But even in that situation, you knew what took priority. Either way, it's a comfort knowing that I won't be making a mistake when I let you keep that Cyndaquil."

"Oh, uh…" I faltered. "Wait, what?" Well, it was good to know I was following the right path, but…

"He's yours," Professor Elm said, smiling. "Oh, and could you stand against the wall for just a moment?"

Confused, I just did as he asked, and suddenly he pulled out a camera. Was that what he had been fiddling with at his desk?

"Say cheese!" he told me. I didn't, but I did attempt a smile, though it probably looked pretty fake. What the hell did he need my picture for? I was starting to get kind of nervous.

"Not bad," the professor said, smiling as he examined it.

"Uh…what exactly is that for?" I asked hesitantly.

"Your trainer card, of course!" he explained. "If you're going to be running around Johto looking for that Pokemon, you're going to need some form of identification. While we're at it, why don't you fill out this form for me? This should be all the information I'll need to make the card for you."

I took the form from his hands, staring at it. Trainer card…something like the one Silver had had, right? It was probably like this world's form of a driver's license…well, for Pokemon trainers, at least.

Let's see…name, age, height, eye color, birth date…yeah, that was all the same general information. As my sole method of identification, this would probably be very useful. Professor Elm handed me a pen, and I immediately started filling it out.

"Hmm…what else are you going to need? Some Poke Balls, I suppose…oh dear, I'm all out."

"Everyone's all out," I mumbled distractedly as I wrote.

"Well, I'm sure it won't be that big of a problem," the professor mused. "You could always—"

"Hello? Hellooo~?" A familiar voice called, causing us both to look up. "Oh my, what a mess…"

"Anne?" Professor Elm called back, looking mildly embarrassed at her remark.

I saw the woman walk into the room, smiling. "Oh, professor. There you are. I was wondering—ah! Brittany! I had a feeling you were back."

Now she was looking at me, and I couldn't help but smile back at her. "Um, hi, Miss Thompson—"

"Anne," she corrected automatically. "I'm glad you're back. Are you hungry? I've fixed up some dinner. You don't mind if I borrow her for a bit, do you, professor?"

"U-Uh…" I feebly attempted to protest, but then my stomach growled again. As I glared at it, Professor Elm chuckled, taking the filled out form from my hands.

"No, go right ahead, Anne," he replied.

"You _sound _hungry," Annette said to me, laughing. "Oh, has your Cyndaquil eaten? I'll find something for him to eat."

She took my arm, pulling me along, and I glanced over my shoulder at the professor. He just watched me with amusement for a moment, before turning back to clean up his messy lab.

Although it felt like things were suddenly moving far too quickly for me to grasp, I just allowed her to lead me towards her house. I _was _starving; I'd just worry about the rest later. Maybe a healthy dose of normality would do me some good…even if I was just about to eat dinner with a complete stranger. Well, at least she was a nice stranger…

* * *

As Annette set the table with more than enough food for two, all I could do was watch her with a blank look on my face. I _was _really hungry…but I felt like I was imposing way too much. I mean, she barely even knew me…why was she doing all of this? On the way over here, she had made it clear that Professor Elm had informed her of my situation, but that still didn't explain her behavior to me. It didn't change the fact that I was still some random girl. She didn't_ have _to give a damn about me.

Was it because this wasn't Earth? No…there were assholes here, too. Silver proved that. Ah, well… maybe Anne was just a really nice person? I guess that was the best explanation I was going to get.

"Here, Flammie," Annette said cheerily, handing the Pokemon some fruit I had never seen before. Ah…were those berries? Now that I was looking a little more closely, some of them _did _seem kind of familiar…

Flammie sniffed a few of the berries, before selecting a lighter colored one and starting to eat it. I stared hard at the fruit and made a note to myself of what it looked like, so that I would at least know one food he liked. Okay, so he didn't like pancakes, but he liked...yellow pear-berry things…oh! Sitrus berry? Yeah, that was what that was called!

"So, how was your trip? Did you like Cherrygrove City?" Annette asked as she sat down, smiling.

"It wasn't much of a trip, but…" I mumbled, trailing off. Then I looked up at her, and spoke a little louder. "Cherrygrove City was nice. It was bigger than I thought it would be."

"If you thought that was big, just wait until you see Goldenrod," the woman replied, looking a little wistful. She then seemed to catch herself, immediately perking up when she saw that I hadn't touched my food yet. "Oh, don't let me ramble. Go ahead, try it!"

I realized that I hadn't even examined the food she'd put in front of me yet, and looked down at my plate. Hey, was that a hamburger? It was like I had never left America!

"It's my specialty," Anne remarked happily, "the Cinnabar Volcano Burger!"

That caused me to hesitate in the middle of reaching for the burger. I glanced over at her, biting my lip. "Uh…is it hot…?"

Her smile widened. "Just try it! I know you'll like it."

"Okay," I mumbled, taking a bite and hoping it wouldn't kill me. If the food had the word 'volcano' in it, it just gave me the image of someone soaking it in hot sauce…

It was spicy, but thankfully not enough to make me physically ill. Actually, it was really good. But…wait a minute. Cinnabar Volcano Burger…that sounded oddly familiar. Where had I heard of it before? I couldn't figure it out…

The room fell silent for a moment, as I grew distracted with mulling over this new thought. Well, it was just a food; it couldn't be that important, right? It was probably just a thing one of the townsfolk mentioned in the game or something. Yeah, that was probably it.

"Brittany…you're planning on leaving again soon, aren't you?" Anne asked after a pause.

I frowned, swallowing a bite of food. "Mm…yeah. If I want to find my way home, I've gotta go looking for that Pokemon."

"I see…" she murmured, and I couldn't help but feel troubled by her sudden quietness. "In that case, could you do me a favor?"

"A favor?" I repeated, and then nodded. "Of course, anything. What is it?"

"If you ever make it to Goldenrod City…there's someone I'd like you to look up for me," she explained, pulling out a slip of paper and writing a few things down on it. After a second or two, she handed it to me, elaborating on what she had written.

"His name is Russell," she said, "and he's a security officer at the Radio Tower. Just ask for him at the front counter, and tell the person you ask that Annette sent you. He should be fairly easy to spot otherwise; he's always being followed by that Houndour of his."

I double checked the paper she had given me to make sure it had all the information she had just told me, and then nodded. "Okay, that sounds easy enough. But why are you looking for this person, anyway?"

I inwardly smacked myself for asking that question so quickly; that was kind of rude. Annette just shrugged it off, though, and smiled.

"Oh, he's just someone I haven't talked to in a while. I've been wanting to check up on him, but the path to Goldenrod was blocked the last time I tried to go there…"

"I'll try getting there, if I can," I said, trying to sound confident. To be honest, I wasn't sure how much I could accomplish in this world. "I mean, I at least owe that favor to you."

"Thank you, Brittany," the woman said, looking away for a moment. I saw her shoulders shake slightly, and my lips tugged down in a frown; when she looked back up at me, though, the smile was back in place.

We finished eating soon after that, holding casual conversations in between bites of food. I was still feeling a little troubled by Annette's behavior, but she didn't mention Goldenrod City again. I guess I would find out what was up when I went there, anyway.

When we were finished eating, Anne stood up and started gathering up our plates. I offered to help her wash the dishes, but she adamantly refused.

"Well!" She said when she was finished cleaning up, turning to me. "If you're going to be traveling a lot, you'll be needing some supplies. Let me get some things together for you."

"Ah, you don't have to do that…" I feebly protested, even though that w_as _a problem I had been worried about and I was inwardly relieved that she was offering. Annette probably saw this, because she just smiled and went into another room, where I could hear her shuffling around.

I let out a sigh, glancing over at Flammie. He had finished his Sitrus berries and was now looking pretty satisfied with himself. I ran one hand softly down his back, feeling the warmth of the flames there. They were burning low, so I guess that meant the Cyndaquil was feeling relatively comfortable at the moment.

"Here we are," Annette said, returning to the room with some things in her arms. She handed me a wallet. "This can hold your trainer card, and I've left around two thousand Pokedollars for you in there, as well."

My first impression was one of shock—that was, until I realized she had said _Poke_dollars, which were far different than regular U.S. Dollars. Thank goodness…I wouldn't have known what to say if she had left me some ridiculously large sum. Two thousand Pokedollars…that was enough for me to buy a few Poke Balls, and I'd still have some left over for staying at inns and such. I'd have to get some money of my own eventually, though. How I was going to do that was beyond me. Did trainers really fork over money to the victor of every battle?

"And you're going to need a change of clothes, too," the woman continued, showing me the bundles of cloth in her arms. There were a few pairs of pants, some tank tops, and something that was a pretty sky blue color.

She saw my curiosity and placed most of the clothes on the table, so that she'd have a free hand to unfold the blue item. It was a long sleeved top with an off-the-shoulder style; the neckline was folded down to form a band that would wrap around, just below the shoulders. On the left shoulder was the design of a white silhouetted Poke Ball. The edges of the neckline, sleeves, and shirt itself were trimmed in white as well.

"Do you like it?" Anne asked cheerfully. "I just bought it from the store this morning."

"I really do," I said, looking at the shirt with raised eyebrows. The fact that there was a Poke Ball on it once again served as a reminder to where I was, but…if I was gonna be waltzing around Johto for a while, I'd might as well try to blend in. And then there was the fact that I really liked that top, and I didn't particularly want to wear my current t-shirt for the next few days without washing it.

She showed me a few other things she had prepared for me, helping me arrange everything in my tote bag so that it would fit. I still had a potion or two from the supplies Professor Elm had given me, and Anne added some berries to the mix; she had put them in a Ziploc bag so that they wouldn't get crushed and make everything in the bag all sticky. On second thought, were those plastic bags even called Ziplocs here? I'd have to be careful to avoid mentioning brand names when I was talking to people here…they might give me a strange look.

After Anne was finished preparing me in every way conceivably possible, I decided that it was time to pay Professor Elm another visit. Hopefully he'd be done with my trainer card by now; though for all I knew, the process could take weeks. I remembered my driver's license hadn't immediately come in the mail, either. Then again, was dealing with a scatterbrained professor this time around, not the DMV.

When I arrived back at the lab, I knocked on the door. I heard the professor call for me to let myself in, so I did.

"Ah, Brittany," he said, smiling. "You're just in time."

"You're finished, then?" I asked curiously, keeping an eye on Flammie as he roamed around the lab.

In reply, the professor walked up and handed me a small plastic card. I saw my picture as well as the hesitant smile on my face, and had to snort. At least it wasn't as bad as my passport photo had been.

"You're all set," Professor Elm said. "You should be able to use that card for just about anything. You'll probably need it if you're going to stay in a big city at any point, or if you plan on participating in any sort of tournaments. I hear the Pokeathalon is pretty popular—"

"I don't think I'll have time to be worrying about that," I said with a wry smile, but he only offered a smile of his own.

"You'd be surprised how much activities like that increase the bond between Pokemon and their trainers," he said. "And that bond is what will help the both of you become stronger as a team."

I blinked, seeing the truth in his words. "Yeah…I guess you do have a point," I admitted. Actually, contests and tournaments sounded a lot nicer compared to participating in battles. At least Flammie was less likely to get injured in a contest. Still, though…I couldn't really avoid battles. I didn't want Silver to beat the crap out of Flammie next time I ran into him. Actually, on second thought, I was just going to avoid Silver as much as possible. Too bad I couldn't remember the next time we were supposed to meet…

"Speaking of bonds…there is one thing I'd recommend you try, as well," Professor Elm remarked.

"What's that?" I asked, frowning. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say.

"There are eight Pokemon gyms spread across Johto," he explained, confirming my suspicions. "Each one has a leader that can be challenged. If you win, you'll receive a badge that signifies your victory…and even if you lose, you'll still gain considerable experience in battle. Your Pokemon will grow stronger, too."

"Am I really ready for that kind of thing?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't recommend challenging a leader with Flammie at this point, but it's just a suggestion for when you've been traveling for a little while. Not only that, you'll receive a decent amount of prize money for winning, as well."

"Prize money, huh…" I mumbled thoughtfully. Now, that I would need. But if I lost…would I have to pay up? Ah, screw it, I'd just ask someone at a gym when I got the chance.

"Speaking of money…are you prepared adequately?" the researcher asked. "Do you think you'll be okay from here on out?"

"I think so," I said, amused. "Anne wouldn't let me leave without accepting excessive doses of her hospitality, so I'm pretty sure I'll be all right."

Professor Elm's smile fell a little. "I'm glad you're humoring her," he said. "She doesn't get company often, you know."

I stared at him, that same troubled feeling from earlier coming back. "…Professor?" She was okay, though, right? I mean, she was so cheerful all the time.

"Well, I have a lot of cleaning up to do," the professor said suddenly, and I wondered if he had even heard me. "Why don't you head back to Anne's house and get a good night's sleep? I'm sure you'll need it."

"Oh, um, okay," I said, giving him a confused look. He just smiled, ushering me out of the lab and telling me to visit him before I left the next day. Before I could get in a reply, he had retreated back into the lab, shutting the door behind him.

"…Everyone around here's so weird," I sighed to Flammie, who chattered in what I hoped to be agreement.

Well, there was nothing left to do besides going back to Annette's place. I'd just have to worry about everyone's quirkiness some other time…

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it. Like I said, not extremely eventful, but at least it's got some character development.**

**Review, review, review~! :D**

**Next time: Catching the first Pokemon! This won't be pretty.**


	5. Pidgeys Are Evil Too

**A/N: OH MY GOD I UPDATED THIS. (don't kill me?)**

**Yeah, sorry about that. I haven't touched this since...what, June? Daaamn. I just couldn't handle updating three fics regularly...that combined with massive writer's block from this caused me to set it aside. **

**As you can see, this fic is NOT abandoned or dead. I might not update all the time, but rest assured I haven't forgotten about this. I'm just busy with other stuff and I also have a lack of ideas for this at the moment. XD I have several ideas for what to do later on, but at this point in the plot...yeah. I'm slowly figuring things out.**

**Anyway! Here's the latest chapter. I did my best with it. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon!**

It was early afternoon, the sun was shining, and we had finally arrived back in Cherrygrove city. I won't bother to explain the details of what occurred this morning; it should be easy enough to guess by now, right? I got up, Anne showered hospitality on me, I visited the professor one last time, and Flammie and I finally departed. The walk here was without any interesting events.

Speaking of Annette…I paused in my steps, frowning. Now that I was thinking about it, she never even gave me that Russell guy's last name. How was I supposed to find one man out of an entire city when I didn't even know his last name? Ah, well, I guess I'd worry about that when the time came. I could always give her a call whenever I got there and ask her.

Flammie stopped several paces ahead of me, turning around to look up at me.

"So, we're here…" I mumbled mostly to myself, looking around. "What now?"

My eyes almost instantly came to rest on the Poke Mart, and I grinned a little. Well, there was one thing I could do…

"C'mon, Flammie," I said. "Let's go get some Poke Balls."

As I had suspected, the Poke Mart had finally stocked up on the item I wanted while I was gone. The place was pretty packed, actually; all of the trainers who had been waiting for Poke Balls as well now flocked to the market. I found myself scrambling to get my hands on some while I still could. In the end, I managed to buy three—which was just as well, because that cost me 600 Pokedollars, and that was all I was really willing to spend.

By the time I had finished making my purchase, the mob of trainers had filed out of the store. One of the cashiers had gone up to the window and was now putting up a sign indicating that Poke Balls were once more unavailable.

"…Are they always this hard to get?" I asked one of the ladies out of curiosity, frowning.

She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Ever since Route 36 was blocked off, it's been far more difficult to get fast shipments of these things. Apparently Team Rocket's set up some kind of base in Azalea Town, too…no one's willing to pass through there." The woman finished steadying the sign she had put up, and now stepped away and turned to me.

"As a result," she continued, "we've had to rely on shipments from Blackthorn City instead of Goldenrod. And traveling back and forth on Mountain Road definitely isn't an easy feat…not to mention, I bet Goldenrod's division of Silph Co. has suffered quite a bit because of this whole thing."

"And Team Rocket's making a pretty penny," the other cashier scoffed. "I bet they're exploiting that Poke Ball maker down in Azalea Town."

My curiosity grew. "How is Blackthorn getting their Poke Balls?"

"Beats me," the first woman replied. "I hear there's a local in Mahogany Town that makes them. There's no way they could get supplies from Kanto…no average Pokemon could handle that kind of a flight over the mountains."

"Huh…" I paused, thoughtful. "Well, thanks for the info. I'll try to make these three last, then." I waved my shopping bag, indicating my purchase.

"Good luck," the second woman called as I left, smiling.

The automatic door slid shut behind me as I emerged from the store. It was amazing how quickly the place had cleared out; as soon as everyone realized the item of interest was gone, even the area around the mart was relatively empty. Since no one was around, I stopped in that spot for a moment to ponder my next action. Flammie sat on one of my feet while he waited for me.

Hmm…maybe I could head to the beach for a bit before giving the whole Pokemon catching thing a shot. It was still early in the day, so it wasn't like I'd have to worry about pesky Hoothoots right away anyway.

"Tch…not again…"

My thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice met my ears. Raising my eyebrows, I looked up to see a slightly out of breath Falkner before me; he was standing at the shop window, staring at the sign that had just been put up. The Pidgeotto perched on his shoulder had its feathers ruffled slightly, as if it was just as annoyed as its master.

"You're back again?" I spoke without thinking, and instantly regretted it; now I had two sets of piercing eyes turned on me. I liked Falkner, but his experience was intimidating.

His irritation seemed to fade a little, to my relief. He ran a hand through his blue hair, his lips turning up in the smallest of polite smiles.

"I thought I might get lucky this time, but it looks like this place ran out as quickly as Violet City did."

I smiled back at him, reaching into my shopping bag. Okay, here was a prime chance to score some brownie points…I was definitely going to take it! Maybe he'd think I was an idiot if he got to know me, but now he would at least think I was a _nice _idiot.

"Well, I happen to have an extra, and I'm in a pretty generous mood," I said, pulling out a Poke Ball from my bag. His eyebrows flew up.

"You really don't mind?"

"Not at all." I tried to smile as if I did good deeds on a regular basis.

His smile became a little more genuine in response to this, and he took the Poke Ball I held out to him. "Thanks. I owe you." He pressed the button on the front of the ball, causing it to pop open. A red light engulfed his Pidgeotto and drew it in.

I tried not to stare too much as he hooked the Poke Ball on his belt. It wasn't the first time I'd seen it, but I still couldn't get over how incredible this all was. It was unreal…the things these Poke Balls did just shouldn't have been physically possible. And yet here I was, seeing it with my own eyes.

"So," Falkner said, interrupting my thoughts, "any luck with the thief?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I haven't heard anything since I last saw you."

"I see…" He frowned. "That's too bad. I hate to see deeds like that going unpunished. It's because of people like him that organizations like Team Rocket form. I pity that stolen Pokemon…it's going to have a rough life."

"Yeah," I said, feeling glum at the thought of it. I stared down at Flammie, who was still sitting at my feet; how could anyone be mean to these cute little guys? Well…I guess it was the same back home. I couldn't understand animal cruelty in general.

I looked up at him. "Speaking of Team Rocket…is it true they're in Azalea Town?"

Falkner raised his eyebrows. "So you've heard about that. Unfortunately, it's true enough. They have Union Cave under guard…no one's been able to get them to clear out."

Union Cave...that was the place I'd have to go through if I wanted to get to Azalea Town from Route 32. The only other way around was by going from Goldenrod City and taking Route 34. But the way to Goldenrod was blocked by that Sudowoodo…

"The police in Goldenrod City can't do anything?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I hear the situation isn't too good in Goldenrod, either…all I've really been able to catch is rumors, but apparently they shut down the train to Kanto as well. I heard it was because of technical issues and the train needed to be repaired, but…I can't help but wonder if there were some influential people behind the whole thing. Now we can't hope for help from Kanto, either."

"So…it's some kinda conspiracy?" I was intrigued. It hadn't happened like this in the game, but maybe this was just a realistic way for things to play out. Interesting…what else could be going on, then?

"If the Goldenrod police force hasn't acted, maybe there really is someone pulling the strings," I mused.

Falkner nodded. "Exactly. I have a feeling the situation might be worse than everyone is letting on."

Geez…it was interesting to hear about, but I guess that didn't bode well for me. I needed to be searching for that legendary Pokemon! How was I supposed to do that with Team Rocket running amok? At this rate, the furthest I'd be able to get was Violet City.

"Anyway," he said with a sigh, "there's no point in dwelling over it now. I don't mean to keep you…I'm sure you have things to do."

"Ah…actually, I was thinking of heading to Violet City," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Really? Well, that's convenient," he said, smiling. "I'll go with you. There are a lot of trainers on that road…you're still new, so it would be better if you had someone like me with you anyway."

"You wouldn't mind? Thanks," I said happily. That was actually what I'd been hoping for. I really didn't want to face any Pokemon trainers right now…in fact, I didn't want to get involved in any battles period. I just wanted to protect Flammie forever and ever.

We set out immediately after that, heading in the direction of Route 30. It was a bit of a comfort already knowing part of the route from my last trip here. I had managed to avoid trainers last time, but I knew for a fact there would be some on Route 31…

The forest buzzed with life as we walked along the dirt path. It was midday, and I kept hearing all sorts of unfamiliar noises. Pokemon calls…that's what they were, right? It was so strange not being accustomed to the forest sounds here. Maybe after a little while, I'd be able to match up the different noises to the Pokemon that made them. I knew Cyndaquil's chatter, at least. Not that I was going to be encountering any wild Cyndaquil anytime soon. If by some crazy chance I did, I would totally catch it so I could build an army of Cyndaquil. Man, that would be awesome.

"Hey," I said after we'd walked in silence for a few minutes. "D'you think…maybe it's possible to sneak through Union Cave?"

"Everyone who's tried that in the past has disappeared," Falkner replied. I gulped.

"Oh…"

"The cave's entrance is blocked off anyway," he added. "Not just anyone can go in. You have to get permission…and to do that, you'd have to prove the strength of your Pokemon. It's to prevent reckless trainers from running in and confronting Team Rocket on their own."

"What do you mean, 'prove the strength of your Pokemon'?"

He glanced over at me. "Have you heard of Sprout Tower?" I nodded, and he continued. "It's a trial. You have to make it to the top floor and face off against any of the monks you meet along the way. Defeat the Elder, and he'll give you permission."

"Sounds tough," I remarked.

"It's no cakewalk," Falkner said. "Definitely not something you should be worrying about at this point. Have you even caught your first Pokemon yet?"

"Er…no…" I admitted, looking sheepish. "That was on my to-do list for today, actually."

The gym leader frowned at me for a moment, and then glanced past me. "Well, it looks like you're already well on your way."

"Huh?" I looked up, following his gaze. That was when I noticed Flammie was no longer at my side, and my face fell when I saw that he had angered yet another bird by poking around in the tall grass.

"Flammie!" I called, frustrated. "Not again…get away from that Pidgey!"

The Cyndaquil narrowly avoided a peck from the bird Pokemon, and he jumped backwards and out of the grass with his back flaring up. He looked over at me, chattering a little as the Pidgey ruffled its feathers threateningly.

"…Again?" Falkner said quietly. "What did you do the last time this happened?"

I tensed, glancing over at the gym leader and suddenly feeling very flustered. Trying to push away all of the bad memories that were going through my head at that moment, I hurriedly looked over at my starter Pokemon.

"Uh…Flammie! Tackle!" I commanded, pointing at the Pidgey. That got the Cyndaquil moving; he jumped forward at the bird, but the attack missed. The Pidgey flapped its wings hard, kicking up a cloud of sand into Flammie's eyes. His flame suddenly started burning low, being doused by the amount of dust that was suddenly airborne.

There was a silence next to me as Falkner slowly connected the dots. I did my best not to look at him, but finally I couldn't take it anymore. When I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he had one palm pressed to his forehead and his eyes were closed. Ah, crap…he really thought I was an idiot now. I felt my face turning pink with embarrassment.

I was broken out of my thoughts when the Pidgey swooped low, raking its claws across Flammie's back. The Cyndaquil let out a cry, ducking low to the ground. The other Pokemon came in for another attack, hitting Flammie again. I realized with horror that the Cyndaquil still had sand in its eyes, and couldn't find time to retaliate. The Pidgey came down again. Droplets of blood painted the dirt path, and Flammie whimpered. When the bird swooped down once more, I swore under my breath and ran forward.

"What are you—?" I ignored Falkner, ducking low to scoop up my Pokemon. The Pidgey let out a loud caw, and I felt a sharp pain on my arm as the bird pecked me hard. I grimaced, reaching out and batting it away with one arm.

It came down at Flammie again, and my interference this time caused the bird's talons to draw blood. I winced, gripping my bleeding arm as I attempted feebly to fend off the angry bird. Dammit, why couldn't it just go away?

"Raven! Quick attack!" I heard Falkner yell, and suddenly a black blur swooped past me and knocked the Pidgey away, temporarily stunning it. What was that? Starly? No…the evolved form. Star…ravia. Staravia.

I turned to give Falkner a confused look, but he just held out his arm so the Staravia could land. Then his piercing gaze turned on me.

"Protect your Pokemon by commanding it properly, not by shielding it from every attack!" He then nodded towards the Pidgey, which was starting to recover. "You take it from here."

Okay…okay. Time to attempt to look dignified for once. I ignored the feeling of blood trickling down my arm, and stepped away from the Pokemon I was shielding.

"Flammie," I murmured, and his head perked up. "Use Ember."

The Cyndaquil, which had managed to get the sand out of his eyes while I had been acting as a distraction, immediately faced the Pidgey with his back flaring up. He quickly spun, the momentum sending small flames into the downed bird. The Pidgey let out a cry, its feathers smoking, and tried taking to the air again. That was when Flammie rushed forward and tackled the bird of his own accord. The Pidgey was sent flying back into a tree, stunned again.

"Now," Falkner said quietly, and I got the message.

I pulled a Poke Ball from where I had hooked it on my belt, holding the button on the front to get it to expand to its normal size. Then I took a deep breath and drew my arm back, before chucking the ball and hoping for the best.

Thankfully, I didn't miss. That would've been a whole new level of pathetic. Instead, the Poke Ball hit the Pidgey on the forehead, probably making it feel even more dazed than before. Then the ball opened, a red light flooded over the bird, and the Pokemon vanished inside it. The ball fell to the ground.

I heard the sound of footsteps as Falkner approached to stand next to me. He returned his Staravia to its own Poke Ball, watching the scene before us intently as he did so. The ball I had thrown was wobbling unsteadily, as if a struggle were going on inside. The button on the front was still glowing a bright red.

A few tense moments later, the ball grew still. The red color slowly faded away, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. My first Pokemon…I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but it had been a hell of a lot easier in the games. I stared at my bleeding arm with distaste.

Falkner approached the Poke Ball, picking it up. "Well, congratulations," he said, dropping it into my hand. "I can't exactly say that went _well, _but I've seen worse."

"Um…thanks?" I said, feeling embarrassed as I returned the Poke Ball to my belt. I stuck a hand in my tote bag, pulling out a potion and spraying down Flammie's wounds with it. The Cyndaquil tensed for a moment, but relaxed as the worst of the damage healed up.

"So…" Falkner heaved a sigh. "Is there something you'd like to tell me? About a certain Hoothoot, perhaps?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, my face turning red. "Well…you see, what happened was…" I faltered, attempting to regain my composure. It was pretty difficult under that gaze. "It was pretty much the same as what happened today. Without the catching part."

"I figured as much," the gym leader said, raising an eyebrow.

"But isn't what we just did the same thing?" I asked, unsure of myself.

Falkner looked away, running a hand through his hair. "Not exactly. Captured Pokemon can be taken to a Pokemon Center. Fending off wild Pokemon is fine, but beating one to the point of fainting is generally frowned upon unless you intend to catch it." He said this like it was common knowledge, and it probably was; I felt more stupid by the second.

"Ah…that makes sense," I admitted sheepishly. I wasn't going to mention those Caterpies I had practiced on the other day. Hopefully they had moved on since then. "…How are you supposed to train, then?"

"Battle other trainers, enter competitions, practice at a gym or dojo…" He listed off a few things, glancing over at me. "Weren't you told any of this before you set out to become a trainer?"

I avoided his gaze. "Er…not really. Professor Elm's a little scatterbrained…and I'm kinda oblivious in general. It's a long story."

"I'll take your word for it," Falkner replied, his lips twitching a little. Had he been about to smile? Oh great, now I was pathetic enough to be amusing to others.

He sighed quietly. "I won't hold the incident with the Hoothoot against you, since your intentions seem innocent enough. I have to say, though, I don't think I've ever seen a trainer rush out and take the blows _for _their Pokemon. Your methods are a little strange."

I frowned a little. Was copying the early methods of Ash Ketchum such a sin? Well, okay, maybe it was kind of stupid to follow in the footsteps of a ten-year-old. But still!

Falkner seemed to notice the look on my face. "…Like I said, it's best to learn to command your Pokemon well to prevent things like that from happening. We're only human. Our wounds can't be healed nearly as quickly, and I doubt you'll make any progress if you spend half of your time in a hospital."

"Yeah, you're right," I said, lifting Flammie off the ground so I could carry him. "Thanks for the advice."

Though I still felt like an idiot. Oh well, at least now I wouldn't make the same mistakes again. Maybe now I could avoid more of these embarrassing ordeals. Hopefully.

"Don't worry about it," the gym leader said, nodding to me. "Now, let's get going. Your Pidgey is going to need treatment."

"Right!" I chirped, following after him obediently.

That was when it kicked in. My Pidgey! Ha, it was mine now! How awesome was that? I'd had bad experiences with bird Pokemon up until now, but I was definitely going to change that. I was going to evolve this little guy into an awesome Pidgeot and kick all kinds of ass with it.

Oh, right, I needed to think of a good name for the new Pokemon. Hmm…what would suit a Pidgey? Falkner had apparently named his Staravia Raven, but I could kind of see where that had come from.

"Hey, Falkner?"

"Hmm?" He looked over his shoulder at me.

I tilted my head a little. "What's your Pidgeotto's name?"

He smiled a little, giving me a curious look. "Echo. My father named him. Why?"

"Just trying to think up a good name, that's all," I replied, shrugging. Raven and Echo…I filed away this knowledge for later use. Now I knew two of Falkner's Pokemon. Maybe that would be helpful if I ever ended up battling him.

Ah, screw it. I always had a hard time thinking up names. I'd just worry about it later.

We continued onward, taking a slightly different route rather than the path I'd taken to get to Mr. Pokemon's house. Eventually we made it to Route 31; it was late afternoon by then. A few trainers had attempted to challenge us along the way, but Falkner waved them off easily. They were discouraged rather quickly when they saw that he was a gym leader. Actually, some of these guys looked like they were about as experienced as me. I vaguely wondered if that Joey guy was somewhere around here. He never would stop calling me about his goddamn Rattata.

"Is that it?" I asked, seeing lights off in the distance.

Falkner nodded. "That building there is the Sprout Tower I was telling you about." He pointed it out to me, and I frowned. Sprout Tower, eh…if I ever decided to brave it, at least Flammie would have an advantage over any Bellsprouts he'd have to battle.

But why would I bother with it? It was for the HM Flash in the game, but I could probably get through Union Cave just fine using Flammie's fire for light. Oh, but I would still need permission to get past…wait, what was I thinking? I wasn't going to try sneaking past Team Rocket. That was absurd. I had a feeling they weren't the same bumbling idiots I'd grown so used to seeing in the game. I'd probably get taken hostage or something.

After another twenty minutes or so, we finally made it to the city. We both stopped near the entrance, and I looked around with my eyebrows raised slightly. Wow…I could definitely see the Japanese influence on all of these buildings, especially the tower. What would Ecruteak City look like, then? It would probably be awesome.

"Never been to Violet City before?" Falkner asked.

I shook my head. "No, never been further than Cherrygrove," I lied. I didn't really want to try telling my story to him if it wasn't necessary.

"The Pokemon Center's straight ahead," he told me. "You can't miss it. I also recommend you visit the school near the center of town; the library there should be useful to you."

He took a few steps forward, looking at me over his shoulder. "Well, I've got a few things to take care of. If you need me, I'll be at the gym. See you later."

I waved, watching him until he melted in with all of the other city folk. Well…I was back to being alone. It was too bad; having knowledgeable company was kind of helpful sometimes. Oh, well. Time to get on with my first order of business.

* * *

Since Flammie wasn't hurt this time around, he kept me company while the Pidgey I'd caught was being treated. One of the nurses had kindly offered me some bandages and antiseptic for my hurt arm, and I accepted them gratefully. As I worked on my small injury, I continually glanced around me.

Pokemon Centers really were interesting places. A lot of the trainers here had a sort of clothing style that seemed characteristic to this city, but there were also a lot of trainers that looked like they had come from all over. Many of them let their unhurt Pokemon out to relax while they waited for the nurses to finish their work. Even though it wasn't my first time to a place like this, it was still interesting to see all of the different Pokemon.

When I was finished dressing the wound, I leaned back on the couch I was sitting on and tried to think of a name for the Pidgey.

"…What do you think, Flammie?" I murmured under my breath, but the Cyndaquil had fallen asleep in my lap. Aww, he'd had a rough day. I absentmindedly petted him as I thought to myself.

Hmm…I needed something that would suit a Pidgeot, since that would be its final form. Maybe…Apollo? I'd seen birds named Apollo before. That sounded like it would be okay. Oh, but I didn't even know what gender it was…whoops.

When the nurse called my name, I took it upon myself to ask her. She gave me a bit of a strange look at the question, but answered nonetheless. As she handed me the Poke Ball containing my new Pidgey, she confirmed that it was indeed a male.

Apollo, then! Apollo the Pidgey. Hey, if I could just get him to evolve into a Pidgeot one of these days, then I could just fly everywhere! I wouldn't have to worry about Team Rocket. Yeah!

Then again, I had a feeling flying might be a problem too…if it was possible to easily get around by flight, people would've tried it already and driven Team Rocket out.

I sighed, leaving the Pokemon Center with Flammie in tow. Well, I was in Violet City. Now what? I had to search for that legendary Pokemon, but I didn't know which one it was and I didn't know where to start. First of all, I had to make Flammie strong so I'd be able to prove myself to that legendary…maybe that library Falkner had been talking about would be a good place to check out. I'd be one step closer to actually _winning_ battles if I learned more about how everything around here worked.

Still deep in thought, I started making my way to the center of town. I would have to get some food soon, too…and get a room at the inn. And what was I going to do about money?

Forget about money, what was I going to do about everything else? I couldn't do much of anything if I was stuck in this city…but I couldn't get to Goldenrod without getting past that Sudowoodo somehow, and I couldn't get to Azalea Town without running into Team Rocket.

Well, it looked like I had hit a roadblock of sorts…apparently the only thing I could do was train. Well, I'd have to give it a shot…

I heaved another sigh, feeling glum. Training my Pokemon would be a matter of weeks, not days. This journey was looking more and more endless by the second. Would I _ever _get to go home…?

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I brought Falkner back because lack of character interaction was half the reason for the writer's block. XD Plus...he's Falkner! I have plans for him. Kinda.**

**As you can see, I'm still figuring things out, but I've got the beginnings of a plot forming in my mind. And, of course, there are other things aside from the main plot that I have planned. But you'll just have to wait and see on that one. :P**

**Sooo...review? :D Your reviews will inspire me! Lemme know what you liked and didn't like. And if you've got any ideas or thoughts, let me hear 'em. I'll take anything you guys say into consideration~**

**Until next time! Peace out!**

**Next time: Taking Apollo the Pidgey out for a spin! Research at the library! Possible meeting with Douchebag? Who knows!**


	6. Pokemon Academy

**A/N: Once upon a time, I bought a magical game called Pokemon Black. It was so epically awesome that my life was changed forever. Oh, and I wrote some FFH while I was at it. XD**

**Haven't updated this since October, jeez...but Pokemon Black helped get me back in the Pokemanz mood. :D And like I've told you a million times, I do intend to keep going with this, even if I never seem to update. Every time I think about some of the events I have planned later on, I get all excited to write...XD It's just the slow start that's giving me a hard time, that's all. I mean, it's not like the game, where you can train for five minutes and then go beat Falkner. XD**

**Anyway! Though it's been quite a while, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. :D And by the way, yes, Pokemon from the newer generations _will _appear in this story. Not extremely often, since they're not native to the region, but they will show up. Maybe she'll battle some trainers from Hoenn or Sinnoh or Unova or whatever. :P**

**Enjoyyyyyy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemanz! **

It didn't take me very long to find the school that Falkner had mentioned. I remembered that it had been a relatively large building in the game, but it was even more noticeable in real life. There were people of all ages coming and going through its doors—I saw kids that couldn't have been older than ten, and had to smile when I saw them walking alongside Pokemon of their own.

When I stopped in front of the building, Flammie paused at my feet and looked up at me inquisitively. I glanced down at him, and then at the yard in front of the school where many of the students were caught up in their own affairs. Some of them were clearly training; others were studying, having lunch, or even challenging each other to friendly battles.

I was hit with a heavy wave of nostalgia. For a moment, I felt like an eight-year-old kid again. How many times had I wished back then for this to happen to me? It looked like the wish had been granted, though it was nearly a decade late. I was older and more cynical now and I couldn't enjoy it the way I would have so long ago.

It wasn't all bad, I guess. I did have Flammie. And now that I was thinking about it…if I hadn't been separated from family and friends, then I probably would be enjoying this. If I was gonna be stuck here for a while, maybe I could at least learn a few things and have fun along the way. I was almost eighteen; what better way to enter adulthood than to go on some life-changing journey?

My smile grew a little as I stood there, just observing everyone's daily lives. Jesus, I really was starting to feel like a kid. Wouldn't it be cool to challenge the Elite Four someday? Or better yet, take on Red at the peak of Mt. Silver? Ha! I'd actually feel like someone _important _then, not just a cog in the societal machine.

"What the hell are you smiling about?"

I jolted at the sudden voice, swinging around to see a scowling redhead staring at me. My eyebrows flew up and I instinctively backed away. Crap! I didn't remember there being an encounter here…! I wasn't prepared, I wasn't prepared!

Then I remembered myself enough to regain my composure. Couldn't let that guy see weakness. I frowned at him. "N-None of your business."

He scoffed. "Get out of the way, then. You're blocking the path."

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve showing your face after what you pulled," I pointed out angrily. "Maybe I'll just keep blocking the damn path and call the cops on you."

"I'll be gone by the time they get here." Silver smirked mockingly. "Well? What will you do?"

"Ugh!" I threw my hands up with frustration. "At least have the decency to leave, then!"

The smirk fell. "Not even going to challenge me?"

"It's not like you'd give the Pokemon back even if I won." I crossed my arms unhappily. Didn't I already have enough problems without this asshole trying to pick fights?

"You're pathetic," he told me, looking cross. "Such a coward. I can't believe you even managed a draw against me. Next time, I'll show you what a real trainer looks like."

With that, he turned and started to leave. For a second or two I didn't say anything—I was too angry. I had never encountered such a complete…complete _bastard _before. What had I ever done to him to make him treat me like this? Nobody had ever called me pathetic right to my face before!

"Hey!" I clenched my fists, scowling at his back. "Silver!"

He stopped, looking slightly over one shoulder. The fact that I'd remembered his name seemed to surprise him.

"There won't _be _a next time," I told him.

Silver just turned and started walking again. I clenched my fists but didn't bother to follow.

"There will be," he called in a dismissive tone. "Just you wait."

That…that smug little shit! Ugh!

Even more infuriating was the fact that he obviously wasn't "little"; none of the game characters seemed to reflect their ages from the game. He was my age if not older, he was determined, and he had clearly established me as his rival for some reason. I was loath to admit it, but the thought of facing him again in the future, after he'd traveled and learned more…it was a little intimidating. Hell, _he _was kind of intimidating. Kind of.

A soft tugging at my jeans caused me to look down. Flammie had stood up on his hind legs, clinging to my jeans with his front claws to get my attention. When he saw me looking down at him, he let out a short chatter.

I sighed and scooped him up. "Sorry, Flammie. Guess I started brooding for a minute there…"

I only found Silver intimidating because I knew he could become a force to be reckoned with in the future. That was the only reason. Right now he was just an ignorant, power-obsessed brat and he wasn't worth my time.

"Why the hell am I letting that guy get to me…" I grumbled as I finally began to approach the school. The library was open to the public, and its outside entrance was clearly marked.

The Cyndaquil responded by settling more comfortably in my arms, and I had to smile a little. At least Flammie seemed happy.

But hey, I had more Poke Balls now, right? If Silver ever confronted me again, I'd just withdraw Flammie and outright refuse to battle. He could pitch a fit if he wanted, but there was no way I was going to humor him. Maybe then he'd finally give up and find a more willing rival.

The memory of that self-assured smirk of his caused me to grimace. Somehow I knew it wasn't going to be that easy…

Rather than dwell on it any longer, I just sighed and headed on into the building. The calm atmosphere hit me almost immediately and made me feel better; libraries were something familiar, and familiarity was scarce nowadays. Clutching Flammie securely to my chest, I wandered further in and took a look around.

Even though a few trainers had their own Pokemon relaxing beside them as they read, it was relatively quiet. Immediately in front of me was an open area with a bunch of tables and sofas, and along the left wall were some more private booths occupied mostly by what looked like study groups. The rest of the library was full of rows upon rows of bookshelves.

Okay…this place was big. Maybe I'd just spend the rest of the day in here. Except a sign on the wall said that this place closed at five, and the digital clock on my Poke Gear told me it was two-thirty. Well, I still had plenty of time to get started!

"Good afternoon! Is there something in particular you're looking for?" A cheery voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I glanced over to see a middle-aged bespectacled woman smiling at me. The librarian, without a doubt.

Crud…Falkner had told me this place would be helpful, but I hadn't even thought about where to start. What sort of things did I need to know? Even though I had gained some knowledge from playing the games, I still felt hopelessly inadequate as a trainer.

"Um…" I forced a smile. "Anything that'd be useful to a new trainer, really."

The librarian nodded, gesturing to a large bookshelf to my right. "Right here! The books on this shelf contain basic knowledge for beginners. All of our books are organized by subject, and the shelves are labeled accordingly." Then she pointed over to a corner, where there were a cluster of computers. "If you need a specific book, feel free to use the search system on our PCs. And of course, I'm available if there are any questions you'd like to ask."

"I see," I replied slowly, trying to absorb what she'd told me. Then I gave a more earnest smile. "Thanks. I'll get started, then."

She returned the smile and then scurried off to busy herself with something else. I paused and watched for a few seconds, laughing quietly to myself. She was shaking someone awake—a teenage guy who had fallen asleep on his homework. When he sat up, a few of the papers stuck to his forehead and he peeled them off with a disgruntled frown. I felt a twinge of sympathy, remembering the homework waiting for me back on Earth. Oh well, at least now I'd never have to do it!

A little girl was leaning against a leg of the chair the guy was sitting on; she was looking through a picture book, a Pichu sitting in her lap. She pointed something out on the page and the Pokemon squeaked happily.

By this point I was grinning like an idiot again, so I opted to turn around and start looking for a book. Too much people watching would earn me some weird looks, after all. It was just way too much fun watching how people and Pokemon behaved around each other. Maybe I'd get used to it one of these days.

I set Flammie down on the floor, letting him wander around the aisle as my eyes roved the shelves. The labels were helpful enough, but I was quickly overwhelmed by how much reading material there was. It was just another reminder of how much I _didn't _know. There were books on Pokemon breeding and eggs, training, Pokemon illnesses and treatments, Pokemon evolution, types of Pokemon, trading Pokemon…holy crap. That was just covering the subjects I saw at a glance—what about the rest of the library?

As I walked further down the aisle, I saw books on the different types of berries and apricorns and where they were commonly found, manuals for the different brands of Poke Gear, and entire encyclopedias on Pokemon species. Seeing those encyclopedias, I began to really appreciate the convenience of having a Pokedex.

Finally I settled on a few books that stood out to me, and pulled them off the shelf. Then I made my way over to a cushy looking armchair and took a seat. I opened a book on Pokemon training and began to read, continually glancing at my Cyndaquil. Flammie saw that I wasn't going anywhere; he yawned and settled down innocently at my feet, looking as if he were about to take a nap. I just shrugged and let him be.

It didn't take long for me to become engrossed in the book—particularly because there were a great deal of training methods described within that _didn't _involve battling other trainers. Apparently there were plenty of ways to hone a Pokemon's skills; all it took was a little creativity.

Hm…it was like those strength and muscle toning videos I'd used in my workouts back home. By doing some of those workouts, I had been able to strengthen my leg muscles without having to actually go running outside all the time. In the same way, it was possible to train a Pokemon without involving it in actual battles.

I scanned through some of the methods described. Endurance and stamina training…of course, running was the first thing listed. I made a mental note to incorporate a morning jog into my schedule; surely Flammie would be okay with it if I had to suffer along with him. God, I hated running…but it couldn't hurt to be physically fit in a world that for the most part lacked automobiles.

There was a section on the book that focused on training for fire-types, and I read it over. The book was meant for beginners so it didn't go into specifics on many difficult techniques, but it did emphasize the importance of teaching the Pokemon to properly channel their…well, firepower. So I would have to find a way to incorporate Ember into some sort of training exercise, then…and maybe try teaching him another fire-based move or two while I was at it. What other attacks could Cyndaquils learn, anyway? My team in HeartGold had been leveled in the high 70s the last time I'd played, so it was kind of hard to remember the basic moves my Cyndaquil had started out with.

Oh, wait a minute! I had almost forgotten about Apollo! What was I going to do about him, anyway? No way in hell was I going to neglect my Pidgey, not when he was gonna be a badass Pidgeot someday. Soon as that happened, I could teach him Fly and then I would hunt down that stupid Legendary to the ends of the earth.

"Pi!"

A small squeak broke me out of my musings, and I looked up from my book to see that the Pichu from earlier had approached. And Flammie, being true to his overly curious nature, was now nudging the little Pokemon with his nose. He seemed to be having fun—and I saw with relief that the Pichu was smiling playfully, batting him lightly with its tail.

D'awwww.

"Cyndaquil!" Now I heard a delighted giggle, and suddenly Flammie was being cuddled by an overenthusiastic little girl. She was the same one I'd seen looking at the picture book earlier; she couldn't have been older than six.

"Pi!" The Pichu squeaked adorably. I almost expected it to say "chu", but it seemed that it only let out squeaks resembling the first syllable of its name. Was Pikachu the same way? What about Raichu?

Oh yeah, my Cyndaquil was being smothered.

"Hey, um…could you let up on him a little?" I awkwardly caught the girl's attention. Man, I was really bad with kids.

She looked up to give me a shiny-eyed, almost worshipping look. At least she lessened her grip on Flammie.

"I love Cyndaquil!" She declared proudly. "Is he yours?"

"That's right," I replied, attempting a friendly smile. Flammie squirmed for a second or two, finally settling on a comfortable position in the girl's arms. He was a trooper, that was for sure.

"Awww, he's so cute," the girl squealed. "Right, Cookie?"

Cookie the Pichu squeaked in response, hopping up and down. What was this, the cuteness brigade?

"I'm gonna be a trainer someday," she told me, speaking as if she were confiding a great secret. "And you know what? Me and Cookie are gonna get a Cyndaquil, and we're gonna be the best team ever! We'll even beat Falkner!"

"Really?" I smiled at her childish optimism. "Your Pichu has a type advantage. Falkner better watch out."

The girl giggled, delighted, and my smile grew. Hey, I was bad with kids, but it looked like I was doing okay this time around. It helped that she didn't seem to be the bratty type.

"Amy!" A new voice interrupted us, causing the kid to look up and grin. Oh, so her name was Amy, huh?

I looked over to the newcomer—it was the guy I'd seen sleeping on his homework earlier, actually. He was two or three inches taller than me and had short, somewhat curly dark brown hair. His eyes were hazel colored, and he wore a sleepy, bored look on his face—but that could've just been because of the circumstances.

"Darry, look! A Cyndaquil!" The girl held Flammie up; the Pokemon just yawned, and I snorted.

He gave her a humoring smile, crouching down to her level and ruffling her hair. "Nice, I see him. But Mom's looking for you, you know. Don't you think you should give him back to his trainer now? Maybe she'll let you play with him later."

"Oh…" Her own grin fell slightly for an instant, but then she brightened up. "Okay!" She turned to me, holding Flammie out, and I took him. "Thanks for letting me see him, lady! Bye!"

And with that, Amy scooped up her Pichu and skipped off, presumably to her mother.

"My kid sister," the guy explained when it got quiet again. "Sorry if she bothered you."

"No, it's fine. She's cute. But…uh…_Darry?_" I gave him an amused look, hoping to god that wasn't his actual name.

"Yeah, only Amy gets away with calling me that." He smirked, and then held out a hand. "Darren Maxwell."

I took the proffered hand, shaking it and wearing my best friendly smile. "Brittany Furness. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You're new around here, aren't you?"

"Um…you could say that, yeah. How'd you know?" I looked at him curiously.

"Been living in this city all my life, and it's not as big as it looks at first glance," he said with a shrug. "'Sides that, traffic between towns has been stunted and all, so newcomers are a lot rarer than they used to be. Where you from, Cherrygrove?"

"…New Bark Town," I answered after a short hesitation.

He raised his eyebrows. "That far out in the sticks? Ohh, I get it…you must've gotten that Cyndaquil from Elm. Figures."

I nodded. "He's my starter. Flammie, say hi."

Flammie chattered a little in response, causing Darren to smile slightly.

"New trainer, huh…must be nice," he remarked.

"…You go to this school?" I asked, inwardly wondering about that remark.

Darren nodded. "Graduating this week. Or dropping out, whatever works."

That made me laugh. "You don't sound too bothered."

He shrugged. "School is a pain. I'm ready to get out in the world, y'know? You've got the right idea, at least."

"I guess…" My smile fell a little; on the contrary, I would've given anything right now to go home and return to my boring, average life. But on the other hand…I could see what he meant.

"Anyway," he said, "I've gotta head home. How long are you staying? Maybe we'll run into each other."

I shrugged, uncertain. "For a while, maybe. Haven't figured it out yet."

He nodded. "Well, see you around, then."

Then Darren made his way to the library's exit. I waved goodbye, a little sad to see him go; it was nice to talk to someone my age for once. Falkner had to be in his early twenties, which wasn't so bad, but he was also a scary intimidating gym leader. Darren seemed to be someone I could relate to more…I inwardly hoped I would see him again. It'd be nice to have a friend or two while I was here, especially since it seemed like I would be going it alone whenever I left.

Hugging Flammie to me, I let out a sigh. Well, at least I had accomplished a little bit today. But the library would be closing soon…

After a minute or so, I walked up to the front desk with the books I'd picked out. The librarian smiled kindly at me and handed me a form to fill out so I could get library card. Hey, why not? I was going to be here for an indefinite period of time, anyway. At least until my money ran out…hopefully that wouldn't be too soon.

By five pm I was walking out of the library, having slipped my new library card and several books into my tote bag. Now I just had to memorize the books' contents, and make my Pokemon super strong! Easy, right? Riiiiight.

My next destination was the cheapest inn I could find in town; I checked in and dropped all of my crap on the bed in the small, sparsely furnished room I had gotten. Other than the bed, there was a small, crappy TV that probably had all of two channels, a desk, and a chair. Not that I really cared about my living arrangements…I was only sleeping here, after all. I didn't plan to spend much time inside, not when I had so much to do.

Flammie sat on the bed, eyeing me curiously as I stared at the Poke Ball in my hands. Inside was Apollo, my Pidgey…the one I hadn't even taken out yet. What kind of Pokemon would it be? I hadn't really interacted with any Pokemon yet besides Flammie, and I was still getting a feel for his personality, too…

Finally I hooked the Poke Ball on my belt (Annette had given the belt to me, along with everything else…jeez), picking up my tote bag once more.

"All right, Flammie, let's go. It's time to meet our new teammate."

Flammie chattered a little, hopping off the bed—wait, had he just _nodded?_ Holy crap!

He paused, looking at me curiously when I just stood there and stared at him in shock. How much _did _he understand? Sometimes I thought he was smart, but I wasn't used to being around anything smarter than a dog. Him understanding my commands in battle wasn't that different from a dog understanding when to do a trick, but…listening to me and nodding in agreement? That was a whole new level of intelligence right there. I knew Pokemon were smart, but knowing something and seeing it firsthand were two entirely different things…

The Cyndaquil tilted his head at me, standing up on his hind legs and nudging me lightly with his nose. I snapped out of my reverie.

"Sorry," I murmured. "You're just…wow. You really understand me, don't you?"

Flammie tilted his head the other way, and then started chewing on the leg of my jeans. I pressed a palm to my forehead, letting out a laugh.

"Okay, I get it. We can go now."

When we left the room, I couldn't help but marvel at the fire Pokemon as it walked at my side. I didn't even have to command him to do it. And this was just a young starter Pokemon—what would happen when he evolved? Would he get even smarter? God, what about _psychic _Pokemon? I hadn't even considered that!

I felt like I had stumbled upon something incredible, but I had no one to share it with. Everyone here already knew about Pokemon's intelligence and were used to it. But…wow. It was amazing, the thought of creatures that could genuinely _understand _us like that. Not like wild animals—these were smart creatures, beings not trapped by their own instinct.

Finally, I started to feel a little more enthusiastic about this. Even if I was stuck here…maybe as long as I had Flammie and Apollo…maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I might be able to hold off the homesickness for a little while. Right now I was going to devote all of my time to understanding as much as I could about these awesome creatures—because I knew I'd have to return home someday, and then I would never see them or get a chance like this again.

Next thing I knew, I found myself at the entrance to Route 31. I wanted to be alone with my Pokemon for a bit, so I had decided to wander into the woods. As long as I kept away from Hoothoots and tall grass, nothing could go wrong, right? Uh…hopefully.

I tried my best not to let my paranoia get the better of me, and stopped at a nice clearing in the trees. No other trainers in sight, no wild Pokemon, and most importantly, no Silver. So far, so good.

Flammie found a rock sitting in the sun and hopped up on to it, the flames on his back flaring out a little bit as he stretched and settled down to watch me. Apparently he found my antics rather entertaining, because watching me was what he always did.

I frowned at the two Poke Balls on my belt, pulling one off. It was slightly heavier than the other, cluing me in to the fact that it was the one that contained my Pidgey. I held my thumb over the button on the front, extending my other fingers, and it enlarged to its full size. Still didn't understand how _that _worked, but I had given up on figuring out the logic of this world a while ago. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?

Now I tossed the Poke Ball to the ground; it opened, letting out a flood of red light, and then bounced easily back into my open palm. My Cyndaquil and I watched intently as the red light faded, solidifying into an actual shape.

And then the Pidgey was standing on the ground in front of me, looking around. It was a bit of a pudgy bird, though it was about a foot tall, fairly large for a bird…at least, compared to the ones I'd seen on Earth. It was kind of cute; most of its front was colored in pale, fluffy looking down feathers. I was overwhelmed with the sudden urge to pet it. But it would be awfully rude to immediately invade his personal space, huh?

"Hi, Apollo," I said, and his eyes settled on me. "Welcome to our team." I held a hand out in a friendly gesture, smiling.

The Pidgey stared at my hand with disdain and hopped backwards one step. He let out a short squawk, ruffling his feathers slightly.

My face fell. "So that's how it's gonna be…" I had sort of anticipated this. It just seemed too good to be true that the Poke Ball would magically make the Pokemon like me.

Flammie chattered a little, hopping down from the rock and coming a little closer. The Pidgey hopped away again, his head jerking from the left to the right, looking at us warily. Crap, he wasn't going to fly away or something, was he? That was a look I'd seen on a lot of birds before. But could he run away that easily after I'd caught him? What was the point of catching them if they could leave the minute you let them out? Well, I _could _just return him before he took off, but that would mean I'd have to keep an eye on him constantly…

"Um, listen, Apollo…" I fidgeted slightly, still feeling weird for talking to what looked like a wild animal. "I caught you and all, so uh…I'd like to be on good terms, okay? I'm not going to hurt you, so don't be afraid."

My Cyndaquil tilted his head; I didn't miss how he returned the wary look, watching the Pidgey carefully. I guess I couldn't blame him; he already had a bad track record with bird Pokemon. But Flammie seemed a lot less hostile than Apollo, at least.

I sighed, and then tried moving forward again. The Pidgey hopped away with a distrustful look. What the hell could I do to make him trust me, then? Maybe I needed to do some more reading…

Oh! Idea! I reached into my tote bag, fumbling for the berries Annette had given to me. Finally my hand found the plastic bag and I opened it, pulling out an Oran berry. When I looked up, Apollo had gone still, seeming to find me far more interesting than before.

"Peace offering?" I grinned, holding it out. "C'mon. You can trust me."

The Pidgey stared at me for a few long seconds, and then hopped forward a step. Hey, that was a start!

"Go on," I cooed gently. "It's yours. You like Oran berries, huh?"

Finally Apollo hopped forward a few steps, coming right up to my hand. He reached forward, using his beak to pluck the berry out of my palm. Then he tilted his head up, swallowing it in one gulp.

"See? I'm a nice person," I assured him. Then I reached out very slowly, wanting to pat him on the head. Apollo squawked and suddenly flapped his wings hard, buffeting my face with sand.

This was going to be harder than I thought…

* * *

**A/N: Ha! Nothing is ever easy! ;P**

**I hope this chapter didn't seem slow/boring to you guys. It was kinda filler...I'm just trying to get the ball rolling. It's hard to delve into plot details when you haven't written the story in months. XD Anyway, did you see what I did thar? I totally introduced an OC! Darren will show up again...because this story desperately needed someone for consistent character interaction. XD And there's one more OC I've got planned, but you'll just have to wait for that~**

**Sooo, I would very much appreciate reviews. ;D Constructive criticism is welcome as always. Lemme know what you think!**

**Next time: Moar fun in Violet City!**


	7. International Police?

**A/N: HEEEEEEEEEYY it's an update! And now I must sleep 'cause I gotta work at five in the morning. D:**

**ENJOY.**

* * *

My hands were bleeding.

Two hours had passed since the beginning of my little training expedition, and I was getting the feeling that I would be stuck at square one for quite a while. Every time I attempted to approach Apollo, he would fly up on to the nearest tree branch. If I reached out to him, he pecked me. And he made a point of looking nonchalantly in the opposite direction every time I spoke to him. This wasn't even like dealing with a wild animal—it was like wrestling with a _child._

"…Never having kids," I muttered to myself, collapsing on to the grass to take a breather. For a moment I paused to examine the cuts and scratches on my palms.

I had always been a cat person. They were generally friendly if you gave them food and a nice petting session every now and then, and they kept to themselves otherwise. I had never had to train anything in my life. My lack of patience definitely wasn't helping. Could I really do this day in and day out? Was this what it meant to be a Pokemon trainer? Why couldn't all Pokemon be nice like Flammie?

When I looked up again, Apollo was foraging around in the bushes a few yards away. He seemed to have successfully forgotten I had existed. Maybe it'd be better if I just left him here. He obviously hated me.

…Ugh. I felt like such a joke. What was I even doing? There was no way I could ever face a Legendary; I couldn't even make a _Pidgey _respect me.

I took a deep breath, feeling painfully homesick. It just wasn't fair…I hadn't asked for this. What if I had to spend years in this place? What if I never made it home?

"Fuck it," I mumbled dejectedly, recalling Flammie and getting to my feet. I gritted my teeth, turning toward the path back to town and beginning to walk. I just wanted to go back to my inn room and sleep. At least if I slept I could forget for a while.

A rustling behind me caused me to pause. Was that…?

I turned around, my brow furrowed. Sitting in the middle of the path was Apollo. He hopped forward a few steps, tilting his head and watching me.

"…What?" I huffed, turning away. "I'm sorry I caught you. If you want to leave, you can leave. I'm a shitty trainer anyway."

When I started walking again, though, that same rustling continued. I swung around to see that Apollo was still there, keeping pace with me. He stopped as I did.

I scowled and backed up a step. He hopped forward once. I backed up again, and he hopped right after me.

"I told you, you can go," I said. "Is there some code to this? Do I have to break your Poke Ball or something to release you?"

The Pidgey seemed to take offense to this, for he let out a chirp and ruffled his feathers. He came closer and let out another chirp.

Suddenly I faltered. Was he really getting mad at me? Why? I had thought he'd be more than happy to waltz back off into the wild, where teenage girls would not bother him with silly commands and training attempts.

"Do you…_not _want to be released?" I blinked.

Apollo glared. He ruffled his feathers up some more—it wasn't a very threatening effect, since the amount of down he still had just turned him into an absurd little fluff ball. I knew if I showed amusement he might attempt to hurt me, though. Either way, I was still too bewildered to laugh.

Finally I just groaned. "…I don't know what the hell to do with you. You're a sadist, is that it? You just want someone to torture, so you're sticking with me."

He seemed to calm down a bit, his eyes still fixed on me. We stared each other down for at least a minute before I gave up.

What was I supposed to do? He didn't want to escape me after all. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Hopefully good. Only it didn't look like he was going to be any more cooperative either way.

"Fine," I said, straightening up. "…Fine, then. But if you're with me, you have to be a team player. Okay?"

Now I held up Flammie's Poke Ball, releasing him. The Cyndaquil paused a safe distance away from the Pidgey and they both watched me. Jeez, they really were like little kids.

"Family bonding time," I declared firmly. "We're gonna eat dinner together and we're going to _behave._ Got it?"

All I received in return were innocent stares, so I took that as a yes.

* * *

Dinnertime came late for my little group. We didn't actually sit down to eat until almost eight o' clock; the good thing was that I was at least able to find an open restaurant that allowed Pokemon. I really didn't feel like eating alone in my inn room, anyway. When I was alone I had too much time to brood. Hearing the sounds of civilization and seeing happy people going about their daily lives did cheer me a little.

I ordered some food for both Flammie and Apollo, but it soon became obvious that they considered my own dish far more appealing. It was the first time I'd ever seen a bird other than a seagull eat pasta. Even when I fed him scraps, Apollo continually sent me looks to remind me that he still didn't like me.

…Yet for some reason he continued to follow me. What was up with that? Maybe catching a Pokemon stopped it from running away, but it didn't destroy the Pokemon's free will. If he had really wanted to leave, he would've done so when I'd offered to release him. I just couldn't understand his motivations in staying.

Well, it didn't matter. The point was, he chose to stay—and I was going to take advantage of that. Maybe if I didn't turn out to be a failure, someday he'd be glad he decided to stick with me.

Someday…

…That sounded too far away. Too long-term. Once again, the homesickness took hold. I did my best to shake it and returned to my meal, focusing once more on the happy people around us going about their daily lives.

* * *

"—_you sure everything's all right? If you need something, I—"_

"It's fine, Anne," I replied, forcing some cheer into my voice. "I mean, I've got Apollo now, too. Plenty of company. And everyone here's pretty friendly."

"_That's good to hear," _the woman said warmly over the phone. _"Do you have enough money? I know it must be difficult out there. I can send you some—"_

"I'm still okay on money. Don't worry so much." I lied, laughing. I was actually running out of money. But I had already taken enough…I would feel terrible if I mooched off this poor woman any more. There had to be some way I could be self-sufficient while I looked for a way home.

"_Oh, I can't help it," _she laughed in return. _"I just…well, I guess after the incident at the lab…you're right, I'm being silly. I'm sure you can handle yourself just fine. You'll keep in touch, won't you?"_

"Of course," I said with a smile. "It's nice hearing a familiar voice every now and then. Anyway, I guess I should head out…I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Tell Flammie and Apollo I said hi," she told me. "Bye bye!"

"Bye," I replied, and ended the call.

My two Pokemon were at my feet, wrestling over a piece of string they'd found on the floor. I offered them a bemused smile.

"Um…Annette says hi."

The remark earned me a short glance from both of them, but then they just returned to their game. If you could call it a game, anyway.

After a week of being forced to stay in each other's company (I tried to keep them out of their Poke Balls as much as possible), they seemed to be growing at least a little more tolerant of each other. Sometimes they started playing together like this, but it would only last a few minutes before they remembered that they didn't like each other. Still, though, I liked to think that there was a sense of companionship now. Even if it was terribly small. It made me feel better to think it, so whatever.

Anyway, it had been seven days since I'd arrived in Violet City, and all was going…about the same. I had run into that Darren guy once or twice in the library, but we hadn't exchanged more than a few words; he was probably busy with his school graduation or something. Other than that, I had been training every hour I could. By now I had developed a shaky routine, but it still felt like I was feeling my way through the dark.

Thankfully, though, I had been able to tame Apollo a bit. He wouldn't always listen to what I had to say, but he at least behaved himself in public. I had a feeling Flammie helped by setting a good example.

A week had gone by, and I had made gradual progress…how many weeks would it take before these guys could hope to impress a Legendary? The enormity of the task I was undertaking still discouraged me. But I had to press onward…it was my only option.

I returned my attention to the Pokemon. Apollo had won the game, holding the string high with his beak like it was some sort of valuable prize. Flammie stared at him for a moment, and then moved forward to headbutt the soft down covering the Pidgey's breast. Apollo squawked indignantly, dropping the string, and the game started all over again.

"All right, guys," I said, snorting. "We've got to get going."

Flammie obediently put the string down, and I couldn't help but love him for being such a good sport. Apollo had already stopped by the door, glaring at me impatiently as if he'd been waiting to go out all this time. Well, I guess it was his form of obedience. That was okay with me. Even if I sometimes wished he could at least pretend he liked me.

Lunch was the same affair as usual. I had learned to order certain dishes with large portions, since it was easier to just anticipate my food would be stolen. At least most human food was safe for Pokemon to eat; I had made sure to read up extensively on it in the library.

There was one thing I never ordered when I was at restaurants, though—meat.

It was strange. Before being chucked into this situation, I had never thought about it before…but here, Pokemon took the place of animals. Instead of riding horses, people rode Ponyta and Rapidash. Eggs from bird Pokemon were used in cooking. Following the same trend, certain Pokemon were used in meat dishes as well. Hell, Pokemon ate other Pokemon, so why wouldn't humans be a part of that food chain?

So it looked like I was a vegetarian now. I just couldn't get my head around it, that was all. How could I raise Pokemon one minute and eat them the next? Everyone ate meat back home, but even then nobody wanted to think about where that meat came from. Cows and chickens weren't very intelligent and nobody really kept them as pets, so people just kind of pushed it from their mind.

Here, though…they were so _smart._ You could be eating a Pokemon that might've ended up being your best friend if you'd actually met it. I just didn't want to get into that. It seemed wrong to me, in a world that seemed to value these creatures so much. I couldn't exactly justify it as the circle of life when there were plenty of other things to eat that _didn't _include meat.

Besides, Pokemon was my _childhood. _Back when death wasn't an issue and creatures just fainted, when everything was bright and colorful and innocent and fun. The thought of _eating _one of the creatures I had practically worshipped as a kid just made me queasy. I was still wondering what Cinnabar Volcano burger had been made from…

I realized I had been staring at the same page in my book for about ten minutes. Shaking my head, I looked up and stretched for a moment. Flammie and Apollo were busy nibbling away at the food in their bowls—I had requested that theirs come first. At least then they wouldn't be so hungry when my food came out.

Just as I was trying to get back into the book I had been reading, the sound of a chair being pulled away from the table distracted me. I glanced up, frowning.

"Hey."

The man sitting across from me looked to be in his early twenties. He had smoky, blue-grey eyes and shoulder-length hair that was deep green in color. My mind kept telling me his hair had to be dyed, but after seeing the nurses in the Pokemon Centers, I had to wonder. This world was weird. Somehow I didn't think random men coming up to you in restaurants was a common occurrence, though.

"Um…can I help you?" I tried, bewildered. The self-assured look on his face only made me feel timid, though part of me was irritated by it.

"Maybe," he said with a smirk. "I'd like to buy you lunch first, though."

Oh, Jesus. The light bulb in my head belatedly flickered on, and I stared at him in a new light. Vulnerable teenage girl sitting alone in a restaurant? Jackpot. If he thought he could walk over and force his way into my life with a smug demeanor and extreme forwardness, he was about to get a rude awakening.

…But of course, I wasn't exactly a strong, confident woman. I was a high school senior in way over her head. So my reply didn't come out quite as forceful as I'd hoped it would.

"Oh—no. I'm, uh, not really interested." Okay, that was weak.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Hey, don't flatter yourself. You're cute, but I'm not into little girls."

I felt my face turn red in record time. "…I'm seventeen."

"And I'm twenty-two, what's your point?" he shot back flippantly, and then caught my waitress as she passed by, giving her his order. By the time I opened my mouth to protest, she was already walking away. I really sucked at being assertive with these things.

"What?" He asked when he saw the look I was giving him. "I thought you weren't interested. Aren't you happy the feeling's mutual?"

"Delighted," I muttered back. This guy was giving Douchebag a run for his money. "But you see, I was kind of…enjoying my day. Until you walked over here."

"Well, that's too bad," he remarked with amusement. "If you get set off this easily, I'd hate to see what your personal life is like." Ignoring the glare he received in return, he held out a hand. "Damien Slade, at your service."

I gave him a dubious look. After a few seconds, he snorted and withdrew his hand, understanding that I had no intention of shaking it.

"…Brittany Furness," I finally replied. I was probably in the system now that I was a registered trainer, but I honestly didn't care if he looked me up. I didn't have any real background here, any hometown, any loved ones. Besides, this guy had already made it clear he was just being an asshole, not a creeper.

My two Pokemon had clearly taken note of this sudden change in atmosphere; both of them had stopped eating. While Flammie was sending wary looks in the man's direction, Apollo was busy acting aloof. I didn't miss the way his hostility seemed to be aimed elsewhere for once, though.

"Well, nice to meet you," Damien said with a more genuine smile now.

"What do you want?" I asked helplessly. Why was this guy bothering me? I just wanted to sit here with my Pokemon and enjoy a peaceful afternoon; was that so much to ask?

His smile fell slightly, and he let out a sigh. "All right, all right. I'm not supposed to break this out all the time, but…" The man reached into one pocket, pulling out a black leather wallet. Pinned to the inside of the wallet was an important looking gold badge.

When I read the letters engraved on the badge, my mouth dropped open in a gape. "You're a member of the International Police?"

"Keep your voice down," he told me with a grimace as he returned the wallet to his pocket. "I'm undercover. That means you can't tell anyone about this, either."

Suddenly I was torn. On one hand, this guy seemed like he could be a total dick. But on the other hand, he had that badge…and it might be extremely beneficial to have someone like that on my side. Was he really a cop, though? I knew there were going to be assholes in every career field, but it just didn't seem to fit him.

"…Are you going to tell me why you're buying me dinner, then?" I finally asked.

The smile returned. "I've got a few questions for you, that's all. Team Rocket's influence in this region has been growing at a troubling rate lately. It's worse out in western Johto; I've been stationed in these parts to investigate any suspicious characters. Can't afford to have things get worse than they already are."

I raised my eyebrows. "Hold on. Am I one of these 'suspicious characters' you're talking about?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No. No, it's actually your thief friend I'm more worried about. I haven't been able to find him, so here we are."

"I gave what information I could to the police," I told him. "There isn't much else I can tell you. I don't think he's a Rocket or anything, but…"

I trailed off as the waitress came with our food. Damien immediately started eating, looking completely at ease, while I just felt tense and uncomfortable. He had a badge, but I still wasn't sure if I should trust him. If he was a cop, why couldn't he act more…I don't know, noble?

His smile thinned as he seemed to mull over this for a minute. "…I've read the reports. You haven't seen this kid since your encounter in Cherrygrove?"

I hesitated. "…Well, I bumped into him here once. Around a week ago. Haven't seen him since, though."

Damien looked thoughtful. "Did he say anything to you that I might need to know?"

"Not really," I replied with a snort. "He just insulted me and promised to kick my ass in a Pokemon battle next time we—oh."

"Next time." He nodded, smiling as if to a private joke. "Well, that's interesting. So he thinks of you as some sort of rival now."

"Uh, I wouldn't say that," I replied, hastily attempting to backpedal. "He just kinda said it in passing. Like, 'Oh, bump into me again and I'll totally—'"

"He's going to hunt you down and challenge you at regular intervals," Damien cut me off, seeing right through me. "And if you _defeat _him, he's just going to become more aggressive."

"No, I seriously—"

"You're my lead to finding this kid, so I'm keeping an eye on you." He finally dropped the bomb I had been trying to avoid, and I held back a groan. Dammit…I shouldn't have mentioned what Silver had said to me. The last thing I needed was this guy finding some excuse to follow me around. Having him on my side was one thing, but having him breathing down my neck…

My momentary depression was broken by my Pokemon—they had noticed the human food on the table, and now were staring intently at my plate. I rolled my eyes and tossed them each a French fry.

"They're going to get fat if you feed them too much of that," Damien remarked. Apollo squawked indignantly.

"I guess he takes offense," I said with a slight grin. When all else fails, I could always trust my Pokemon to cheer me up.

The man frowned at me for a moment. "How much have you trained them, anyway? You're still a rookie, aren't you?"

I averted my gaze. "Um…I've been training over the past week, but…"

"You challenged anyone yet?"

"Anyone?" I blinked. "Like who?"

Damien raised an eyebrow. "There's a school right down the street. Come on, kid, take some initiative."

"Don't trainers have to pay up when they lose? I can't afford that right now," I remarked, growing a bit sullen. There was no way I could win a battle at this point. What training I did was probably mediocre…and I hadn't even been able to beat Silver. A draw was better than nothing, but I was _supposed _to win.

"There are plenty of trainers willing to battle without any sort of bet in place," he said. "It's not a rule written in stone, you know."

"Well…" I still hesitated.

"What were your original plans, then?" He rested his chin on one fist, watching me. "You're a trainer. You've got two capable Pokemon. What's on the agenda?"

"Uh…" Now that I had been put on the spot, I grew fidgety. I knew what I _had _to do, but I wasn't ready for it yet. I didn't know when I would be ready.

"I figured," he said with a snort. "You were just going to sit around and train forever, weren't you? Not anymore. That's way too boring, and I've been bored enough the past few weeks. I'm going to give you the kick in the ass you need."

"You just want to break me out of my routine so you have something entertaining to watch while you follow me around," I grumbled.

"Something like that," he agreed vaguely. "Anyway, are you finished?"

I blinked, glancing down at his plate. It was cleaned down to the last crumb. Holy crap, how had he eaten all that so fast?

My dish was about half eaten. "Um…yeah, I'm full, I guess."

"Good," he said happily. He pulled my plate over to his side of the table and began to finish it off for me.

I watched him, a little unnerved. Okay, so apparently this guy also had a bottomless pit for a stomach. He had just eaten a heaping bowl of pasta and now he was eating the other half of my sandwich? Hopefully he didn't expect me to return the favor and buy _him _dinner one of these days. I wasn't sure if my wallet would survive the ordeal.

* * *

"All right, lesson one! Let's see just what your Pokemon are capable of."

We were in the clearing I normally used for training, Damien standing before me with his arms crossed. He was looking considerably more serious now, which surprised me; I'd half expected him to change his mind and go take a nap somewhere after that huge meal he'd just eaten. Since he didn't seem fazed, I was forced to assume that stuffing his face was part of his normal routine. Great.

Flammie and Apollo were at my feet; the Cyndaquil looked curious, while my Pidgey was preening himself and looking about as indifferent as usual.

Damien reached down to his belt and pulled off one of the four Poke Balls that were resting there. He opened it up; the resulting burst of red light faded to reveal a green Pokemon with bladed arms—Scyther. This was the first Scyther I had ever encountered, and I stared at it with interest. It returned the stare.

I had always thought they were cool, but seeing one face to face was…intimidating, to say the least. Those blades looked dangerous. Jesus, what would it be like to encounter one of those things in the wild? And Scythers were pretty mild compared to some of the other wild Pokemon out there…

"Wait," I spoke up. "We're not having a battle, are we?"

"There's no point in that. You wouldn't stand a chance," Damien replied in a matter-of-fact tone, not seeming to notice the way his remark made me bristle. "This is more of a test. My Pokemon is going to stay on the defensive."

"…What do you want me to do?" I finally asked.

He smiled thinly. "Viper's the fastest Pokemon I own. I just want your Pokemon to hit him once. You can use both of them, and whatever strategy you like. Just as long as you hit him."

This didn't sound good. I looked doubtfully down at my two Pokemon, wondering just how I would go about this. More specifically, how I would get the two of them to work together long enough to outsmart someone who was way more experienced than me.

The Scyther tensed in anticipation of the coming task, watching my two Pokemon calmly. My eyes were drawn to the set of sharp fangs the Pokemon possessed; this had to be the first time I had seen an insect with teeth. Come to think of it, this was the biggest bug I had ever seen.

Bug…bug type…hey, I had a double type advantage here! Maybe I stood a remote chance! If I just utilized Flammie and Apollo's abilities correctly…

"Guys! Tackle!" I ordered, nodding firmly in the direction of our opponent.

Flammie instantly barreled forward, his back flaring out as he leapt at the Scyther. Without even receiving an order, Viper simply dodged to one side, rendering the attack useless. Apollo…well, he was still at my feet. He had more pressing matters to attend to. Like preening himself.

…Okay, this was kind of embarrassing.

The Cyndaquil turned around, locating his enemy once again, and crouched in preparation for another attack. I saw him glance slightly at me, waiting for a command.

"Charging in like that won't work," Damien remarked from the sidelines. He paused long enough to offer a smirk in Apollo's direction. "Well, that's going to be troublesome."

"I just caught him last week, give me a break," I grumbled, rubbing my forehead. Then I looked down at my bird. "Apollo, come on…"

The Pidgey stopped and offered me his best 'What do you want?' looks. Well, at least I'd gotten his attention.

Viper was in a ready position, his eyes shifting between the two Pokemon so that neither could catch him off guard. I couldn't help but notice the way his body shifted every few seconds, gearing up whenever one of my Pokemon even so much as twitched. This was going to be tough…he had evaded Flammie easily, but I had expected that. My first move had been more testing the waters than anything else.

Well, I was a pathetic novice anyway. Time for some trial and error.

"Flammie, tackle!" I ordered again, to Damien's amusement. My starter reacted right away, this time attempting to circle around and get into the Scyther's blind spot. It didn't work; the other Pokemon was too fast.

As Viper was busy evading the attack, I gave out my second order. "Apollo! Sand Attack!"

Now he decided to obey. He hopped forward and flapped his wings hard, kicking up a cloud of sand and sending it in the direction of the Scyther's face. Viper leapt backwards, spreading his own wings and beating back the cloud.

"Ember!" I called, trying to use whatever openings I could.

"Fall back," Damien responded calmly. "Double Team."

With one final push, Viper beat his wings and vanished from the scene. He reappeared shortly after directly behind Flammie, causing the Cyndaquil to whip around—but then I blinked, and he was gone. Just trying to follow the Pokemon's movements was starting to strain my eyes. This was Double Team? The moment I saw him, he was gone…was that Viper, or just the afterimage his rapid movement left on my eyes?

"Dammit…" I muttered, frustrated. "Flammie! Keep it up!"

He had been hesitating, but now his back flared up as he sent Embers every which way. Each flame was just a little too late, hitting a spot where the Scyther had been a mere second before. I quickly understood that that wasn't going to work; it was a waste of energy. I scowled, trying to think of some other strategy.

"Apollo—" I started, but then noticed that the Pidgey had gone back to ignoring me. Actually, he looked quite irate.

Finally the Scyther stopped, out in the open once more, though all that time spent trying to find him had left me a little disoriented. Flammie immediately sent an Ember his way—and the other Pokemon dodged, not even looking slightly winded.

I opened my mouth, realized I had no clue what to do, and then slowly closed it. When Apollo began to move on his own, I felt a small spark of hope, only to realize that he was using Sand Attack to put out the small fires Flammie had created in his effort to get in a single hit. Viper jumped backwards to land beside his trainer. The amused expressions they both wore (Scythers could look amused?) were so similar it was almost comical.

My Cyndaquil, completely exhausted, knew it was pretty much over. He walked unsteadily over to me and sat on my foot, leaning against my leg and panting slightly.

"We've got some work to do," Damien remarked.

Oh, Jesus…his eyes had a positively devious glint to them.

* * *

"Oh, hey."

I blinked, pausing. That voice…

When I turned around, I saw the same familiar brown hair and sleepy hazel eyes. It was the guy I'd met in the library a while back.

"Darren," I replied, smiling.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Brittany, right? You need help with that?"

He was staring at the large paper bags I was carrying, both filled with groceries. By now had pretty much set up a home base in my room at the inn—the staff there knew my face now. Following a similar agreement that had been set up with other trainers in the past, they allowed me to use the kitchen there as long as I replenished any ingredients I used up.

"Uh, sure…thanks," I said, allowing him to take one of the bags. Well, he was nice…Damien would've just stolen a piece of food and booked it. Come to think of it, Damien was the main reason I was doing this. The bastard ate so damn much, it was a miracle the inn staff weren't throwing him out just for being a pain in the ass.

Well, I guess it wasn't completely fair of me to think like that. He _had _helped me quite a bit…even if he was an immensely frustrating man.

"So," Darren said as we walked, "you're still here, huh?"

"Mm…" I sighed. It was June 22nd…it had been Memorial Day weekend when I first came here. Had it really been a whole month? And as Darren had pointed out, I was _still here._

"Huh. Figured you'd get bored at some point," he remarked with a shrug. Then he paused, looking at me more carefully. "Training to battle Falkner?"

I was startled into a laugh. "You kidding? He'd slaughter me."

"Can't hurt to give it a shot," Darren said.

"Maybe," I replied. "…Didn't you graduate? I thought you were going to take off, too."

"Pretty soon." He flashed a grin. "Got my trainer card and everything. Just gotta convince the folks to let me go."

"Protective parents?" I guessed.

"Dad's a cop," he explained, his smile fading. "With all the Team Rocket stuff going on…well, you know."

Well, that _did _make sense. The thought of a criminal organization running amok made _me _a little edgy, too. I could definitely see the reasoning there.

I frowned, looking on ahead. The inn was coming into view; it was a tiny building in the downtown area, across from the Pokemon Center and a few local shops. This city wasn't big, but it was nice nonetheless. It had been a comfortable temporary home over the past couple weeks.

"Are you sure…you wouldn't be better off waiting it out? The Team Rocket thing, I mean." I bit my lip, troubled.

Darren stopped in his tracks, staring me down. "You serious?"

"Well…" I stopped too, taken aback. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, they're dangerous."

He was always so relaxed and laid back, so I was startled to see an almost angry expression on his face now.

"They were in Kanto for _years." _He shook his head. "I'm not going to wait my whole life holed up in this town. If everyone just hides, nothing is going to change, anyway. _Somebody _has to put an end to it. That Red kid had the right idea."

I gave him an incredulous look. "You're gonna be a hero or something?"

"N-No!" Darren ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "That's not what I mean. But—but we can't all be intimidated by these guys. It's the whole reason Johto ended up like this in the first place. Too many people just letting it happen."

"I guess that makes sense," I admitted, and we resumed walking. "I mean, do what you want. You sound braver than me, anyway."

I could sense that he was giving me a look, but I kept my gaze turned stubbornly forward. He was brave, all right—either that or naïve. I still wasn't sure if I agreed with him or his father. His father's reasoning seemed more likely to keep him alive.

"Where you taking this, anyway?" He finally asked, changing the subject.

"The Wildflower Inn," I replied. "Right down the street."

"I know where that is," he said, smiling. "Restaurant next door makes the best pancakes."

I almost groaned. Damien had ordered a full stack of said pancakes this morning and—dear god, I had been around that man too long.

We finally made it back to the inn and Darren was nice enough to help me unload the bags and restock the fridge. When we were finally finished, I thanked him and he got ready to leave.

Before heading out the door, he turned to me. "Hey, uh…we should meet up soon. You know, have a friendly battle or something. My Growlithe and your Cyndaquil."

"You have a Growlithe?" I asked eagerly.

He blinked. "Oh. Yeah, my starter."

"I'm sold," I said happily, practically squirming with excitement. I had never seen a Growlithe in person and it was going to be so _cute _and I loved dogs and—

"Girls are weird…" he muttered awkwardly, finally turning to head out the door. He raised one hand in a last-minute wave, speaking in a louder voice now. "See you around, then."

"Sure," I said, my shoulders slumping with embarrassment.

Then Darren was gone and the room was silent once more…well, kind of. I scowled and turned towards the kitchen's other doorway, where a tall man was hunched over, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"Shut up," I grumbled.

"Girls are weird," Damien repeated, beaming and giving me a patronizing pat on the head.

Then he swiped three of the apples I had just bought and vanished just as quickly as he had come. I smacked my forehead; damn it all.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhh, I missed you, character interaction. Damien and Darren...good thing they're so different, or I'd get them mixed up. XD No idea where those names came from...**

**HA, I wonder how many people saw the chapter title and thought Looker was going to be in this. XD Alas...not yet! But he will probably make an appearance at some point. Till then, you'll just have to deal with Damien.**

**Sprout Tower next time. And then we'll get the ball rolling!**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. :D**


	8. Sprout Tower

**A/N: ...And so I updated this story, and many bricks were shat.**

**Yup, I'm still writing this. Surprised? XD I love Pokemon too much to stop. I want this story to succeed so bad; I refuse to give up when I've barely even gotten started with it. **

**So if there's anyone that's actually still reading this, congratulations. Here's a reward for your patience. :D **

**AND I'M REALLY SORRY I SUCK AND SHOULD'VE UPDATED WAY SOONER OTL **

* * *

One entire month…

I let out a sigh, crumpling up the paper I had just been doodling on. It was the week after my chance meeting with Darren; I hadn't been able to stop myself from sitting in my room and brooding.

It didn't _feel _like a month had passed, and yet it did. The past few weeks had been me going through the same routine of training, eating and sleeping. Routines were safe. They made it easier to make myself numb to homesickness.

I was getting better at this lifestyle, at being a trainer. I had been challenged a few times, and even won some; that along with the odd jobs I did around town was what helped me to sustain myself. Still, though, I was far from comfortable with my financial situation.

Damien had been an almost constant presence since we'd met. He wasn't hovering over my shoulder all day or anything, but he was always _there. _ I always knew where to find him, and somehow he always knew where to find me. We trained just about every day; though it was immensely frustrating, I couldn't deny that I had learned a lot from him.

…I still hadn't managed to hit that stupid Scyther.

Another sigh. Thinking about that wasn't going to help at all. How was I supposed to hit it, anyway? Flammie and Apollo were unevolved, inexperienced Pokemon. There was no way they could possibly be as quick as the Pokemon of an International Police member. And if I remembered correctly, Scyther were stealthy to begin with. It was just a useless test Damien had developed to piss me off.

Dammit, I still couldn't believe it had been a _month _and I was still sitting here twiddling my thumbs…how much longer would it take before I felt comfortable moving on?

No, I would never want to leave. Leaving meant exposing myself to danger, because the only place I could go at this point was Azalea Town. And the longer I stayed here, the worse the rumors I heard became. The situation wasn't going to resolve itself.

…Was Darren right? Was it wrong of me to want to stay put? It wasn't like _I _could solve anything, but…

It was what the main character of the game was supposed to do, and I had pretty much followed in their path up to this point. But if I kept going, that meant I'd have to somehow defeat a criminal organization and get all the gym badges and win against the elite four and all that bullshit.

Ugh, I needed to stop thinking about this. It was ridiculous and there was no way I'd be able to accomplish anything that crazy.

Standing up, I walked over to the door to my room and slipped out into the hallway. Maybe it was time to get some solo training done…anything to stop myself from brooding.

* * *

On my way to the usual training spot, I found myself coming to a stop and contemplating the single building in the distance, the one that towered above all the others. Sprout Tower…

One whole month. How long had it taken me in the game to get past that place? All it was was a bunch of monks with stupid Bellsprouts! Level up the fire starter and the flying-type Pokemon, and the place is a piece of cake. Beat Falkner—c'mon, the first badge was never hard—and go to Azalea Town, kick some Rocket ass, and move on.

It should've been simple. It had been so easy in the game…and even if I screwed up, all I had to do was go back and level up my Pokemon some more.

I rubbed the back of my neck, frowning at the tower. Flammie sat at my heels, already used to this kind of behavior.

This whole thing wasn't run by experience points and type advantages anymore…way more factors came into play. But then again…it wasn't like I was fighting Team Rocket, right? I could at least give Sprout Tower a shot, and go from there. Maybe even challenge Falkner. If I lost horribly, then I'd know where I stood. Maybe I wouldn't even lose horribly—maybe I was underestimating myself. I _had _been training a lot lately—

"You're going to do it?"

I jumped at the sudden voice behind me, swinging around to see Darren standing there. He was beside Rouge, his Growlithe. The two had a determined look in their eyes that I wasn't sure I liked. I had battled Darren once or twice before now, and there was one thing I'd noticed about him—he might have a lazy, laid-back demeanor, but he shaped right up when there was a battle going on. Flammie and Rouge already had a rivalry going on, which was kind of bizarre when it was between two adorable little starters.

"…Huh?" I finally managed lamely.

"Sprout Tower," Darren replied with a smile.

I hurriedly shook my head. "Uh—I'm not ready! I was thinking about it but I—a-aren't you still waiting on your parents? It's a place for trainers!"

His smile fell slightly and he shrugged. "Won't matter so much later. I realized that they're never gonna let me go anyway. I'm a sitting duck, like you. So let's change it up."

"Change it up? Are you saying—"

"The only way the world will be safe is if we make it safe," he said, crossing his arms. "…And I heard there's some nasty stuff going on down in Azalea Town. First everyone's talking about how their Slowpoke has been stolen, and then this morning some snake comes up here trying to sell Slowpoke tails like they're some kind of delicacy!" He let out a controlled sigh, seemingly doing his best to keep his calm composure. "Doesn't it burn you up? Everyone knows they're killing Pokemon, but it's gone on for so long that nobody wants to make a move. We have to do something."

I just shook my head, surprised at his speech. "Why am I included in this? I…I was thinking about Sprout Tower, but not Team Rocket. You realize we're just kids, right?"

"That guy from Kanto—Red—he was a kid too, and he became _Champion," _Darren pointed out. "It's not about us. If you can raise strong Pokemon, it doesn't matter if you're ten or twenty or fifty." He turned to look up at Sprout Tower. "I want you to come because I know you want to get out of here too."

When I was silent at that, his gaze shifted back to me. "I want to prove myself to my parents. You want to get away from that Damien guy. If we get through this tower, then we can do that."

Get away from Damien…I stared at him in a new light. He was right, of course. Damien had helped me but I didn't _want _him attached to me for the rest of this thing, even if he was a cop. I knew what I had to do, but if I stuck with Damien, all I was going to do was train for the rest of my life. Maybe beat Falkner, yeah, but Damien would never let me go to Union Cave. And what I needed to do in order to progress…was exactly what Darren wanted me to do.

…Would it be so bad, partnering up with Darren for a bit? Maybe…

"Okay…okay. Let's not get too carried away," I said, frowning. "I'll take on Sprout Tower with you. We'll see how things go from there, I guess."

He smiled. "I knew you'd come to your senses. Come on, let's do this."

* * *

The inside of the tower was very dim, lit only by candles on the walls as well as the sunlight streaming in through the few windows. The polished wood floors creaked slightly under our weight as we strode inside.

One of the first things I noticed was the giant pillar in the center of the room; if I stared at it for long enough, I could see that it was swaying slightly. The effect was a little disorienting. I tried not to look at it too much.

Darren ignored the other people milling about the room; some of them were dressed in the garb of Buddhist monks, while others seemed to just be civilians or trainers. I followed him to the ladder near the far wall, where a monk was standing. He looked up from the text he was reading when we approached.

"Oh, young one…so you plan on climbing the tower this time, do you?" He spoke, his eyes filling with mirth at the sight of Darren. "I remember you visiting here when you were small. Are you certain you're prepared?"

"Sure," Darren replied, unfazed. "I've got a partner."

The monk turned to look at me. "And are you prepared as well, miss? Training here will not be so easy."

Just as I opened my mouth to say I was ready, Darren spoke up again with a solemn set to his face.

"We're not here for training."

That caused the humor to drain from the monk's eyes. He frowned, seeming to look at the both of us in an entirely new light. "…I see. Well, I can't stop you. But first you must make it to Elder Li—if you are defeated by any of the monks on the floors above, you will be turned back."

"Yeah, I'm aware of the rules," Darren replied.

"Um…we're ready for this," I added, though I wasn't sure if that was entirely the truth.

The man nodded, moving out of our way. "Very well, then. I will prepare some potions for your return."

Now that the way was clear, Darren moved to the ladder and began to climb up. I followed shortly after.

When the teen made it to the floor above, he turned around and held out a hand to help me up as well. I climbed through the opening, pausing to take a look around. This floor of the tower was much like the last; through the dimness I could still see the central pillar, and I had a feeling it would be a constant presence through this endeavor.

It was very quiet up here; the only sound I heard was the initial scuttling of small feet, which turned out to be a few Rattata we had startled out of hiding. Thankfully they seemed to be in more of a mood to flee than fight; we didn't need any extra nuisances, and I had no desire to catch one anyway.

The next two hours after that were a blur. We encountered several monks on every floor, and I found myself teaming up with Darren for double battles at just about every turn. For the most part things went far better than I would have ever expected. It was almost _easy; _I suddenly saw that the training _had _paid off, and my Pokemon were much stronger than they had been a month ago.

It was just as I remembered—all of the monks here used Bellsprout, though there were occasional Hoothoots here and there. Darren and I used our fire Pokemon and defeated them easily. And whenever Flammie looked like he needed a break, I sent out Apollo.

Unfortunately my Pidgey still wasn't always in the mood to behave. Though I had difficulty controlling him and it was frustrating as hell, I still managed to finish a few battles with his help. I could only hope that at some point we'd reach an understanding. But that was something I'd have to worry about after we were out of here, since for right now training time was over.

"Man…what floor is this?" Darren sighed beside me as we rounded a corner, approaching another ladder.

"I lost count too," I admitted. "Everything looks the same."

"It's starting to get old," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Rouge is getting tired too. Maybe it's more of a stamina thing than a strength thing."

"Maybe," I replied quietly. Whatever the test was, I was ready to be done with it.

Then we both paused, coming closer to the ladder leading above. At some point during our conversation, the surrounding silence had been broken, and now I could hear voices coming from the next floor. The monks up until now had all been meditating silently when we came upon them, so hearing this was out of the ordinary. We exchanged a glance.

"Sounds like someone's getting heated," Darren muttered, raising his eyebrows.

Sure enough, the tone of the masculine voice I heard coming from above was not a friendly one. I nearly groaned when I remembered who exactly that was going to be. Well, there was no sense in putting off the inevitable. When my companion shrugged and started climbing the ladder, I allowed Flammie to climb on to my shoulder so that I could follow.

Darren pulled himself up and turned to give me a hand, and soon enough we were up on the top floor. This floor was slightly different from the others; the walls were lined with wooden Bellsprout carvings that towered over us as we walked. The monks up here merely nodded to us in acknowledgement as we passed rather than challenging us.

We paused when we came close to the other end of the room. Silver was standing with his back to us, one hand clutching a Poke Ball and the other balled into a fist. He was withdrawing his Totodile. The monk standing across from him, an old man with a snow-white beard, was looking at him with disappointment in his eyes.

"Ridiculous," the redhead snapped, bristling. "I defeated you. What more do you want? I proved I am the stronger trainer!"

"…What's going on here?" Darren muttered to me, and I just shook my head.

The elder sighed. "…Very well. You've proven that you do possess power…take this Technical Machine. If you intend to go, it will aid you."

Silver accepted what appeared to be some kind of CD, glaring all the while.

"However…" The monk frowned, watching him. "Be warned. Pokemon are not simply tools of war…treating them overly harsh will only lead to your own misfortune. The key to true strength is forming a symbiotic relationship with—"

"More of that nonsense? Humph!" Silver rudely interrupted. "The loser in a battle has no place lecturing me on true strength. Elder, huh…you're just an oversentimental old man. You're soft and so are your Pokemon."

He turned his back on the elder, who was shaking his head. It was then that he noticed the two of us standing there; his eyes narrowed when they fell on me.

"You again. What's that look for? You agree with him?"

"Sure; maybe I'm soft too. Better than being dense like you," I retorted, scowling. _Such _an ass—this guy never failed to get on my nerves! "You can't expect to keep winning battles if your Pokemon hate you."

"Feelings don't mean anything—Pokemon are just a means to an end. You still don't get it, do you?" Now he just shook his head. "Fine, then. I'll show you what real strength looks like next time we meet—_if _you even manage to defeat this old fool, that is. I'm going."

With that, he walked past me, his hands shoved in his pockets. Darren glared at his back, even as he vanished through the opening to the floor below. Then the teen's gaze shifted to me.

"Who the hell was that?"

I sighed. "Long story…I'll explain later. Shouldn't we worry about the next battle?"

At that, Darren shifted his gaze to the monk standing up ahead and he seemed to calm down a bit. "…Yeah…sure. Let's do this."

The monk seemed to notice us; he stepped forward, giving us a scrutinizing look. Were we supposed to battle him? But if Silver had already taken out all of his Pokemon…

"Have you come here as well to test your strength, young ones? Congratulations on making it this far. I am Elder Li—the final test. But first I must ask—why have you come?"

Darren bowed his head respectfully. "Elder…we want passage through Union Cave. We want to stop Team Rocket and make Johto a free land for trainers again."

I resisted the urge to grimace. It _sounded _great, but hearing him say all that just made me feel pathetic because all I really wanted was to go home. If there were any other way to find the legendaries, I would take it…but it would take years to track them down if I was forced to hide from Team Rocket all the time. I didn't have that kind of time.

The elder frowned. "Many have stated that noble goal in the past…but none have seen them since they departed, and our situation is unchanged. Are you certain you wish to take such a risk? Team Rocket is a cruel bunch."

"We have to," I replied. "If we don't, Team Rocket's cruelty will spread and we'll all meet the same fate anyway."

It seemed like the right thing to say, but I was fairly certain the reality of what I was doing hadn't hit me yet. Right now it kind of felt like I was playing a part in a movie. I knew Team Rocket was a group of evil thugs, but I had never been exposed to those kinds of characters before.

Beside me, Darren nodded with approval.

"Very well," the monk replied, reaching into a pocket on the inside of his robe. He extracted a Poke Ball. "Allow me to test your strength, then. Brother Jin will assist me."

"Yes, Elder." One of the monks standing near the wall approached the elder's side, extracting a Poke Ball of his own.

I tensed a bit. This was going to be interesting—but somehow it was comforting to have Darren working with me. I just hoped I wouldn't make any stupid mistakes.

"We will each use one Pokemon. There will be no set time limit; one item use is permitted per participant. Choose your Pokemon, and let us begin!"

Jin threw his Poke Ball first; it bounced in the center of the floor, opening with a flash. A Hoothoot was revealed. Hopping down from my shoulder, Flammie saw the other Pokemon and bristled a bit. He still wasn't a huge fan of Hoothoots.

Next, Elder Li sent out his Pokemon. The flash of light from his Poke Ball faded, leaving what I recognized to be a Weepinbell in its wake. It was a strange looking Pokemon with unblinking, fishlike eyes and a gaping mouth; just what I remembered, and yet no longer a cartoonish illustration. I could see the veins on its leaflike limbs.

"An evolved Pokemon…" Darren murmured, frowning. "This'll definitely be tough."

This was the first Weepinbell I'd seen. Victreebell had been one of my go-to grass types in the original Gold, so I found myself pulling out my Pokedex out of sheer curiosity. I pressed the 'scan' button, waiting for the information to load.

_When hungry, it swallows anything that moves. Its hapless prey is melted inside by strong acids._

There were several other facts present, but I shuddered at that particular one. Flammie…no. There was no way these kind monks would allow something so horrific to happen to a Pokemon, even in a battle. But it was something to consider…like animals, Pokemon had defense mechanisms and predatory instincts. They could be dangerous and they could kill each other, and they were very smart. In the wrong hands—in Team Rocket's hands, to be more precise—they could be turned into terrifying weapons.

But I was already on this path. If I wanted to go home, I couldn't chicken out now.

The main information displayed on the screen of the Pokedex was mostly stuff I already knew; Weepinbell was a grass and poison type, which meant it was weak against fire, flying, psychic and ice. It was one of the strongest Pokemon we'd encountered thus far, but at least Darren and I did have a type advantage.

"All right, Rouge," Darren said quietly, pulling the sole Poke Ball from his belt. "Let's do this."

He threw the ball, revealing his Growlithe. The Pokemon assumed a ready stance, and at my instruction, Flammie went over to stand next to her. For a moment Darren and I stared down the other two combatants. Who was going to move first?

Elder Li decided it for us.

"Feng, use Wrap."

The Weepinbell move immediately, sending a series of thin vines at Rouge and constricting her. She struggled, letting out a yelp and biting at the closest ones. There were too many for her to take out alone, and if she attempted to burn them they might catch fire and harm her—unless she had the Flash Fire ability, but I had no idea if Darren would be aware of that or not. There was no time.

"Flammie, burn the vines!" I ordered.

He was already racing forward, throwing Embers left and right to sever the vines that the Weepinbell was controlling. The attacks seemed to be having an effect, though since the vines weren't dry, they weren't burning as easily as I'd hoped. If only I had something like Damien's Scyther—Cut or Slash would help immensely right now!

"Sango, Tackle!"

At Jin's order, Flammie was quickly intercepted and sent flying backwards. After being hit with plenty of surprise attacks during training sessions with Damien, he was quick to react—he managed to flip in midair, landing on his feet and sliding backwards.

The vines still weren't broken, and Rouge was struggling. She needed to be free if we wanted to win this battle.

"Keep it up, Flammie!"

"Rouge," Darren piped up, "Helping Hand!"

Then the most amazing thing happened; I watched as the Growlithe's body glowed slightly, her eyes narrowing with determination. My Cyndaquil also began to glow, the flames on his back flaring up brightly. Then he opened his mouth, breathing out a large fireball that hit the vines and exploded, sending tiny embers everywhere. The Weepinbell managed to dodge, but the Hoothoot was hit and let out a squawk. Rouge was freed and quickly pushed the entangling vines off of her.

Hold on, had Flammie just used Flame Burst? That was a higher-level move! Helping Hand was capable of doing that?! I had never seen anything like that. Actually, I had never really used Helping Hand in the games, wanting to save the move slot for a more powerful attack.

"All right, Rouge! Use Bite!" Darren called.

The Growlithe shot forward, catching the Hoothoot off guard. She grabbed its wing in her jaws and forced the bird to tumble backwards with the momentum.

"Vine Whip!" Li ordered.

His Weepinbell sprouted new vines at a startling rate, these ones covered in sharp looking leaves. It sent the vines after Flammie, who just barely managed to dodge out of the way from each attack. The ones that swept through the flames on his back were merely burnt; I saw his back flare up as if he realized and understood this.

"Tackle the Hoothoot, Flammie!" I ordered, wanting to save the tougher Weepinbell for last.

The Cyndaquil reacted immediately, moving in. It was at that moment that Sango used Peck to free herself from Rouge, quickly hopping away to dodge Flammie's attack. Rouge and Flammie stood side by side and awaited the next assault; I attempted to think of a good strategy other than using Ember over and over. I had quickly learned from my training here that type advantages didn't always make a difference, so you couldn't just count on making your opponent faint in one hit to avoid a counterattack. If that worked, chances were your Pokemon was significantly stronger to begin with.

Regardless, Ember seemed to be my best bet. Darren ordered Rouge to use Leer, and then offered me a sidelong glance. I noticed that Leer affected both Pokemon, but the Hoothoot seemed to freeze up more noticeably. I had Flammie target the bird; his fire was still strengthened a bit from Helping Hand, and the powered up Ember hit the Hoothoot dead on. It flew backwards a bit from the force, landing on its back and struggling to get up. I saw the way its feathers were singed and winced a little.

When the Hoothoot couldn't seem to get up and Darren was already ordering another attack, Jin raised his Poke Ball and returned it. I breathed a sigh of relief; with that second Pokemon gone, concentrating on the more powerful Weepinbell would be easier.

Both Flammie and Rouge seemed to understand what was effective. Without being ordered, they quickly began sending Embers towards the other Pokemon. The Weepinbell raised its leaf-like limbs, using them as a shield to bat away the flames. I noticed that it gained several burns in the process; the hooklike root on its head spouted a tiny flame that didn't seem to want to burn out.

Elder Li frowned a bit, reaching into one pocket and pulling out a small pouch. He grabbed a handful of powder from the pouch, tossing it into the air. His Pokemon was enveloped in a cloud of cool, sparkling green mist.

"I think that's Heal Powder," Darren murmured to me.

My eyes narrowed slightly. An herbal remedy? I had never really used them before, but I was pretty sure Heal Powder cured status effects…

My hunch was confirmed when the mist cleared. Any that had been on Feng before were gone now, and the Pokemon was raring to go. Dammit.

"Feng! Prepare yourself!" The Elder commanded.

The grass-type crouched slightly, drawing its leaves over its mouth and beginning to glow. What…What was it doing? I didn't know! Shit, I couldn't remember what a Weepinbell's moveset would look like; it had been too long since I'd played one of the games!

"Something's coming…" Darren said, eyes narrowing.

"What's he doing?" I replied, frantically trying to figure out some sort of counterattack. Then it clicked—Growth! I had seen the Bellsprouts using that one and they had glowed sort of like this! Growth raised special attack, which meant—

"Acid!" Li called.

"Gah! No!" I protested, and suddenly Flammie and Rouge were both doused in a caustic green liquid.

Rouge tried shook it off like a dog shaking off water, but her efforts were mostly in vain. I noticed with a wince that some of her fur was singed. The flame on my Cyndaquil's back had smoldered; he slumped to the ground briefly, but then struggled to his feet. I noticed that he was swaying slightly.

The Weepinbell opened its mouth wide, sending out a cloud of yellow powder that showered both of our Pokemon. Stun Spore? Agh, I hated these status effect moves!

"Damn," my partner muttered, clenching his jaw. "Dammit, dammit! I only have Potions. Why didn't I think—I learned about this in school! But I've never battled a strong grass-type before…"

I gritted my teeth as well. Come to think of it, I didn't have any Parlyz Heals; when I saw how Rouge was suddenly having difficulty moving, I wanted to kick myself too. I had been trying so hard not to blow through my money that I hadn't even adequately stocked up.

Li ordered his Weepinbell to use Vine Whip; the attack hit Rouge dead on, sending the Growlithe hurtling into one of the Bellsprout carvings on the wall. The statue splintered under the impact, and Rouge fell in a heap on the ground.

"I need to take five," Darren growled, pulling a Potion out of his bag. "Sorry, but can you handle this for a second?"

"I can try," I said, feeling apprehensive. "All right, Flammie…let's give this a shot."

In response, my Cyndaquil nodded weakly, swaying on his feet. It wasn't exactly an image to inspire confidence, and I felt terrible pushing him like this. But if I switched him out for Apollo, it'd basically be the same as forfeiting the match…not to mention attempting to control the Pidgey in an important battle like this would be a nightmare.

"Ah…ah…try to distract him!" I yelled, flailing my arms a bit and feeling like a complete jackass. If Damien had been here to see this, he'd probably be whacking his head against the wall repeatedly.

Flammie responded by surprising me completely. He crouched close to the ground, the flames on his back disappearing and exposing bare skin spotted with tiny holes where the fire normally came out. His back was exposed for one brief moment, and then he vanished in a burst of black smoke.

Then we were all coughing and attempting to wave the acrid smoke away from our faces. It made my eyes water and my throat burn; I had to step back a bit to get away from the worst of it. Darren lifted Rouge and moved back behind me, spraying some Potion on his starter's wounds and getting her ready to be sent back into battle.

I couldn't see Flammie, but I knew he was doing precisely what I told him to do. Had he known how to use Smokescreen this entire time? He might not be a powerhouse, but he was definitely reliable—and smart, sometimes a lot more than I gave him credit for. Now what?

"Flammie—" I opened my mouth to issue another command, but that was when I saw a silhouette through the smoke and nearly gasped. Flammie was slumped over and trying feebly to get up.

The smoke cleared just enough for the Elder's Weepinbell to find my Pokemon. From the vines the grass-type was producing, I realized it was getting ready to use Wrap again. I didn't think Flammie could stay conscious through that—and I didn't want to find out. In the heat of the moment, there was no time to run over and administer a Potion. The only thing I could do—

"Now, Rouge!" Darren yelled.

Suddenly the Growlithe came hurtling out of nowhere, catching our opponent completely off guard. The Weepinbell was hit hard, sent flying into the wall with a crash. It slid to the floor, letting out a strange sounding moan. The poor thing looked completely dazed.

We all went still for a moment, watching the elder turn to his Pokemon. He seemed to assess the situation for a moment…and then he lifted one hand.

"That is all I will be needing to see. You have passed the test."

With that, he bent over his Pokemon and began to administer some sort of healing item with a few quiet words of encouragement. It began to stir just a little.

I breathed a sigh of relief and ran over to Flammie, with Darren and Rouge on my heels. The two of them crowded around the Cyndaquil; Rouge whined, licking Flammie on the head multiple times until Darren had to pull her back.

"I think he's been poisoned," Darren remarked. "He looks sick—and that Acid attack hit pretty hard, too. That must have been it."

"I don't have any Antidotes," I lamented, stroking Flammie's back lightly. Seeing him like this made me want to cry and hit myself at the same time.

"It is indeed poison…" The elder was walking over to us, having withdrawn his Pokemon for the time being. He offered me an apologetic look. "I would offer you one of my own Antidotes, but I'm afraid I gave my last one to my previous opponent."

I spent a split second being pissed off at Silver for being such a douche, and then I went right back to worrying about Flammie.

"Thanks for the thought," I replied quietly, and then turned to Darren. "Um, can you finish up here then? I need to get to a Pokemon Center fast."

The teen nodded. "Yeah, go. I got you covered."

"Right." I gathered Flammie in my arms, turning and running towards the nearest ladder. There was no time to waste.

* * *

_"Brittany!"_

_I could hear the birds chirping outside. It was a beautiful spring morning; the forecast for today said seventy degrees with plenty of sunshine. I had plans to go on a long bike ride through the woods with my friends, with maybe some ice cream to top it all off._

_"It's quarter past six, time to get up."_

_…I also had plans to sleep in, but Mom wasn't having any of that, as usual._

_"Mmmnnn…"_

_"You have to get to school! Get up!"_

_Ugh…high school. Had I done last night's homework? I couldn't remember. I wasn't even sure if I had ever gotten those math notes from my friend like I was supposed to. Pretty sure I missed two days last week…yeah, there was no way I could afford to skip any more, at least not this week…but it sounded so nice outside…_

_"Weren't you saying you had a test today?"_

_Oh yeah, and I was supposed to help one of my friends study in second block. Aw, man. Oh well, maybe school would be bearable today. I felt like I hadn't seen my friends in forever anyway._

_Suddenly there was wetness on my face. A tongue. Now our dog was in on it too?! Moooom!_

_…Wait a second, we didn't even have a dog._

_E-Ehhh?!_

"Aaaaaah!"

I jolted into a sitting position, breathing heavily and looking around wildly. Bright lights. Animals. Women in nurse uniforms.

"Where—what—"

"What was that for?!" A sudden groan came from nearby. I looked over and saw a messy haired youth sprawled out on the floor, a fluffy red dog lying on his chest.

…Darren? Rouge?

"Huh? Uh…" I sat there for a moment, dazed.

We were in Violet City's Pokemon Center. I vaguely remembered bringing Flammie here; I must've fallen asleep on one of the couches while waiting for him.

"Who wakes up like that...?" Darren groaned again, pushing Rouge off of him. She must have barreled him over in surprise at my outburst.

"…Bad dream," I offered, trying to sound sheepish.

He gave me a dubious look. "You don't sound very sure to me."

"Is Flammie okay?" I changed the subject, unsure of how to explain myself to him.

The subject change worked. Darren shrugged, glancing over to the left. "Looks like it. He's been running around making friends for the past hour. Are all Cyndaquil like this?"

"They're supposed to be timid…" I muttered, watching as Flammie sniffed at another trainer's Rhyhorn. He was a little too curious for his own good.

Thankfully, said Rhyhorn seemed to be ignoring the little Pokemon, though its trainer was watching with amusement. I pushed myself to my feet, walking over to him. When Flammie noticed me, he quickly ran in my direction with a happy little chatter. I crouched down and pulled him up into a tight hug.

"Whew…thank god you're okay," I whispered.

What would've happened if this had been out in the wilderness, without any Pokemon Centers in sight? Could Flammie have died? Or were there different degrees of poisoning that I was unaware of? There was still so much I needed to learn…

"Looks like everything turned out all right, at least," Darren said. "Man, but I'm not screwing up like that again. I never wanted to spend the money on healing stuff before, but I made sure to buy a ton once I got out of there. Status effects are a real pain…

That was an understatement. We came really close to losing that battle. How had Silver pulled it off alone? Granted, the elder had probably done a one-on-one with him rather than a double battle, but still…

…He must've been training just as hard as me over the past month. I shuddered to think what a battle with him would be like now. He had the type advantage with his Totodile, and I could see it getting ugly fast.

"What happened after I left?" I asked, drawing up to my full height with Flammie still in my arms.

"Oh, right." Darren reached into his bag, pulling out a disc; it was the same one that the elder had given to Silver earlier. "This is for you. It's Flash. Should be pretty useful in Union Cave. I got one, too."

"A TM?" I took it from him, staring at it blankly. It really looked like an ordinary CD. On one side the words "Technical Machine #70—Flash" and "Silph Company: Saffron City, Kanto" were printed.

"Never used one?" The teen asked, giving me an interested look. "Neither have I, but I've seen Dad do it once or twice. Come on, this center has a Reader we can use."

He gestured for me to follow him, and I saw him walk over to a door near the front desk. I had never even given that door much thought before; come to think of it, I had always assumed it was an employee-only thing, even though I never really saw nurses going in and out of there. I walked after him, following him through the door.

The next room was full of desks and computers and various machines. There were a few other trainers in here; some of them were engrossed in what they were doing, but a couple did look up briefly to offer a polite nod in our direction.

Darren led me over to a small machine on the opposite end of the room. Upon closer inspection, I saw a slot on the side that looked like it was meant for a disc. There was even what I recognized to be an eject button on the side.

"I'll do it with Rouge first. Check this out," he said, pulling out Rouge's Poke Ball and withdrawing her. Then he opened up a small door on the side of the machine, revealing an empty space with a circular indentation on the bottom. He placed the Poke Ball inside and then closed the door.

"All right, now you just insert the disc…" he murmured to me, pushing the TM into the Reader.

A small screen on the front of the machine lit up, and I leaned forward to see what it said.

_LOADING…_

_LOADING…_

_…_

_TM70 IDENTIFIED. TEACH GROWLITHE_ _ THE MOVE "FLASH?"_

That text. Maaaan, that _sounded _like it was from the game. This was so crazy.

There was a red button a green button beneath the screen. Darren pressed the green one, and the machine got to work. There was a series of mechanical noises, and then I saw a flash of red light emanate from the chamber Rouge's Poke Ball was in. That was the same light that came out whenever a Poke Ball opened…strange.

After a few seconds, the screen flashed green.

_PROCESS COMPLETE. EJECTING TM…_

The disc popped halfway out of the slot and Darren retrieved it. Then he opened up the machine again, taking out the Poke Ball he had placed inside.

"And that's all there is to it," he said with a shrug.

I stared at him, baffled. "Uh…that's it? Wait, so Rouge can actually use Flash now? What did it do, download it on to her or something?"

"…Download?" Darren gave me a bemused look. "Anyway, it's not really all that simple. I think it has something to do with the Poke Ball. But either way, this sort of shows them the basics to the move, but you still have to practice it to perfect it. At least, that's what Dad told me. I don't think Flash should be all that hard though. Sounds sorta self-explanatory. Ready to do Flammie next? He should be able to learn it."

"Um…yeah," I said with a shrug, withdrawing Flammie and placing his Poke Ball inside the machine.

We went through the same process, chatting a bit as the machine did its work.

"So we basically have permission to go now?" I asked.

Darren nodded. "We did make it through all of Sprout Tower. At least all that training wasn't for nothing…anyway, you didn't miss much. The Elder gave me a bunch of warnings about Team Rocket, but that's about it."

Oh, great. Now I was feeling even more apprehensive about that whole thing. At least Flash would help us get through the cave without tripping over each other, providing Flammie and Rouge really were able to use it…

The Reader finished its work and I pulled out the TM and Flammie's Poke Ball. We moved out into the main room once more.

"I'm ready to get going whenever," Darren said, shrugging. "Can't exactly go back home right now. My dad would sniff out my plans in three seconds, and I'm pretty sure Amy would start bawling and make a scene."

"Are you sure you want to—"

"Don't even finish that question." He cut me off, rolling his eyes. Then his demeanor abruptly changed, his lips tugging down in a frown. "Huh. Look who's here."

I looked up, my eyes scanning the Pokemon Center's main room. What was he talking about? There were a few nurses walking around, and then there was that trainer with the Rhyhorn…near some of the TVs were a few school children watching some kid's show with their starters, chatting happily amongst themselves. Everything seemed to be exactly the way it had been when I woke up—

…Oh. Except for that green haired guy standing at the front desk, talking to the head nurse. Damien.

Hoo, boy…suddenly I _really _didn't want to see him. He looked kind of ticked, which meant he was likely to lecture me the second he saw me—not to mention he'd do everything in his power to stop me from skipping town with Darren. No, I was completely certain he'd never allow that.

Now I realized that maybe going with Darren really was the best path. Clearly this alternative—being stuck here with an overbearing cop—would not be good for me.

"Let's get out of here," I whispered. "Let's leave now."

"You got it," Darren replied, seeming to understand completely.

We made our way over to the doors, slipping out of the Center unnoticed and leaving Damien behind. I didn't know if or when I would ever see him again.

It was off to Route 32. Time to get back to that adventure of mine.

* * *

**A/N: FINALLY. I'm FINALLY getting to the first Team Rocket encounters. I never thought the day would come. I actually have stuff planned for Union Cave and Azalea Town thank god.**

**Apologies if my battles are still a little lackluster. I think I need to watch some episodes of Pokemon for inspiration, hahaha. I wish the anime was better...the anime trailer for Black 2 and White 2 was epic, why can't the actual anime be more like that? D8**

**Anyway...back to writing. Reviews are very much appreciated, seriously. **

**Next time: Adventures on Route 32; infiltrating Union Cave! Here we come, Team Rocket!**


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